Rumor Has It
by emiz.12
Summary: There's new gossip at St. Vladimir's. And Rose and Dimitri happen to be the center of it all.
1. Chapter 1

"Did you hear about Rose and Guardian Belikov?"

"What about them?"

"Well, rumor has it that they've been having some type of affair."

My eyes widened as I listened to the latest gossip of St. Vladimir's Academy. I was accustomed to being the center of the gossip. Or Lissa, really. But about Dimitri? That has to be crossing some line.

I may be a threat to fellow novices and the Moroi, but Dimitri was a widely respected, badass guardian of the school. Who in their right mind would—?

The realization hit me. How, for the slightest second, could I have forgotten who has tried to make my life a living hell?

First, there was Victor Dashkov. I stiffen nearly every time his name is mentioned. Why? After Vasilisa Dragomir (best know as Lissa, my best friend) and I returned to the academy from being MIA for two years, Victor devised a plan to kidnap her as his own personal nurse for his disease, which, at the time, had been killing him. The rescue was delayed, considering that he used a lust charm through a necklace he bought for me so that I would be out of the picture long enough for him to be cured and temporarily forget my motive when I sensed Lissa was endangered through our bond. Dashkov knew about my, what I had believed to be at the time, hopeless school girl crush on my mentor, Guardian Dimitri Belikov, who had—is, really—attracted to me. Luckily and eventually, select guardians of the academy, myself, and stowaway Christian Ozera (now her boyfriend) were able to save her life and get Victor thrown into jail. Suffice to say, it'd be nearly impossible for anyone to believe anything he says about an affair at an academy.

Second, there was Mia Rinaldi, a non-royal Moroi, who is a year younger than Lissa and me and was set on making our lives hell from the second we returned to the academy. Over our winter vacation, her mother was killed in a mass Strigoi attack and became interested in fighting with her magic and physically to end the Strigoi existence. She actually had saved my life from two Strigoi, Isaiah and Elena, who had held us, along with Christian, Edison Castile (or Eddie), and Mason Ashford hostage. In the end, I was able to decapitate the both of them. Unfortunately, Mason was killed by Isaiah; each time I think about it, I am on the verge of tears. Nonetheless, I guess it's safe to say that Mia and I are practically _friends _after that day. After winter break, she doesn't attend the academy anymore, so that leaves her out of the mix.

Third, there were Jesse Zeklos and Ralf Sarcozy, senior Moroi. Once upon a time, Jesse and I got along, but never Ralf. When Mia convinced (or used a form of prostitution, actually) to spread rumors about being a blood whore and sleeping with the both of them, any friendship was down the drain. Here and there, they make suggesting comments and start rumors just to see if I could reach boiling point. Until now, that hasn't happened. But, it is rather obvious that they would be the culprits.

I was also accustomed to the stares and sudden whispers when I was in the vicinity. It has happened frequently ever since Lissa and I returned from our time away from school a few months ago. So, when I entered the cafeteria, it was easy to ignore the stares and whispers.

I walked over to the line, beginning my search for doughnuts. I normally am running late for lunch and can't find them, no matter how much I try to get to the cafeteria on time. I quickly snatched a glazed one and started making my way back to the tables.

"Little dhampir," a voice called from behind me. I inwardly groaned as Adrian Ivashkov caught up with me.

"What is it, Ivashkov?"

"There is a very suggestive rumor going around about you and Belikov."

"I know." I grimaced. "Thanks for the warning, though."

He chuckled. "I wasn't aware if you had heard or not."

"I'm not trying to pay attention to the gossip," I said as I sat down at an empty table. Adrian took the seat across from mine. I continued, "The fact that you brought it help isn't helping that cause."

"Well, maybe if you'd kiss me right here and now, the rumor will stop." He smiled hopefully.

I rolled my eyes, taking a bite out of the doughnut to stall for time. I swallowed and glared at him. "There's more of a chance in me meeting my father."

He smirked. "We'll see about that."

I about made a retort, but distracted myself with the arrival of Lissa and Christian. Up until that moment, I had been doing my best to cancel out Lissa's thoughts and give her some privacy.

Maybe that wasn't the best idea.

Why? She took a seat next to Adrian and Christian took the other seat next to her. And, wow, she looked angry. So, I decided to tap into her mind for the first time that day and I instantly regretted it. Not only did that match her facial expression, but it was all directed at me.

I sighed, wishing that she wouldn't be so angry over a rumor.

As if she had heard my thoughts, her own were still asking the same '_Why didn't you tell me?_' but she was a lot more calm about it.

I shrugged. "Because it's not true, Liss."

Technically, I wasn't lying. Dimitri and I weren't an actual couple. Every now and then, we'd steal a kiss, but nothing more—other than the lust charm, where we nearly slept together. He has been doing his best to make sure that I wasn't a distraction to his duties as a guardian and I wasn't distracted in the future for being Lissa's guardian along with him. In other words, _it's complicated._

Adrian eyed me pointedly, but said nothing; he knew the truth. Christian, on the other hand, was smirking. We never have really gotten along, but, to say the least, I can respect him for his assist in our escape in Spokane. I wasn't too surprised to see him amused by the latest gossip.

Lissa sighed. "I don't know how the rumor would come about then. It's not like Guardian Belikov to break any rules, especially ones like that that could lead him to become fired. He's too…too—"

"He lives by the rules," I finished for her, raising an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure he could have them memorized."

She giggled. "I suppose you're right." Her amusement was short lived though.

I frowned. "What's up?"

"I still want to know why that rumor would ever be started. It's rather cruel."

"Don't you think it's obvious who started it?"

Three pairs of eyes stared at me.

"Really? You can't think of anyone?" I scoffed.

"Zeklos and Sarcozy?" Christian inquired.

I nodded. "Precisely."

**

**A/N: **I thought I'd try writing a Vampire Academy fanfiction. This is my first one and I'm not completely sure how I feel about it. I know that this has been done before, but I've always pondered what would happen if the secret really did get out.

So, reviews would be amazing. Tell me what you think. Did I stay in character? Do you have suggestions? Anything? :)

Oh, and sorry about not updating my other stories lately. I haven't had much inspiration for them. :/


	2. Chapter 2

Vampires can be vicious when it comes to gossip.

They've proven it time and time again. Returning to the academy and befriending—or something like that—Adrian Ivashkov were just the beginning. I never realized how cruel rumors got until this new one surfaced. It was a warning sign. No doubt just saying that there was more to a relationship of a student and her mentor was only the beginning.

I deeply exhaled as I entered the gymnasium for my after school training session. This and the session before school are my favorite classes/sessions of the day. Though, not for the reason that they should be.

The reason that they are my favorite lay right in the middle of the gym floor reading a western novel. I didn't understand his fascination with them, or why he liked the music that he did, but that's certainly not why I feel light on my feet when I'm around him. I never could put my finger on exactly why I had the feelings that I do, but it really didn't matter.

He finally glanced away from his book to see who had entered and quickly bookmarked his spot before climbing to his feet. I watched as he lightly tossed his book to the side, followed by retying his hair at the nape of his neck. Unfortunately, he was in strict instructor mode. Something I wasn't always fond of.

"Rose."

Against my better judgment, I saluted him. "I'm ready to go, comrade." Maybe the charming Rose Hathaway bravado would keep my mind from wandering today.

He was expecting that, I suppose.

That's when I noticed that maybe he wasn't in instructor mode at the moment. Yes, his facial expression was as stern as usual, but his eyes sported concern. Maybe even worry. Normally, it'd make my chest grow light or my heart would flutter at the thought that he cared for me. Given the circumstances, though, my chest tightened and my eyes, more or less, stung.

I sighed. "You've heard, huh?"

"You hear a lot when on patrol." His mouth tightened into a thin line. "A lot of things you don't want to hear even."

"Do you know if—?"

"It's a rumor," he stated as if reading my thoughts. "Administration wouldn't get involved unless it got serious."

I frowned. "When you say serious, you mean..."

He did his cool eyebrow trick then. I took a mental note that he still needed to teach me that, along with the meanings of his various Russian swears.

His face fell then. "As impossible as it is, you being pregnant. Running off together. An engagement. Something along those lines."

"In other words, things that are far from your mind when it comes to me?"

His eyes narrowed. "Not necessarily, Rose."

My mouth twitched and I was forcing myself not to smile. To make sure I wasn't too obvious I didn't say a word.

There was very little conversation up until I was handed a silver stake to practice with.

I had a tendency to focus my anger on the dummies when I was allowed to work with them and a stake, more before the incident in Spokane than after. Nonetheless, my fury resurfaced for the first time in weeks and I seemed to focus it all on two of the dummies in particular.

"Rose?"

I ignored Dimitri's attempt at getting my attention. I drove the stake through one of my focus's chests with all the force that I could muster.

"Rose!"

Again, I ignored him. This time, I was just trying to get the stake out without rupturing the artificial ribs further than I may already have. It took a while, but I managed. When I was done, just for the hell of it, I kicked the dummy over and muttered, "Bastard."

"_Rose! _Stop it."

This time, I listened to him, feeling a serious case of déjà vu. I loosened my grip on the stake and took a step back.

Despite my best efforts to avoid eye contact, he was at my side quickly, forcing me to look up at him. I really should have expected he'd do something similar to lightly holding my chin.

Hello, Zen life lesson.

"Why do you always seem to hold a grudge against someone? It's not healthy."

"Why is there always someone that likes to irritate me?" I shot back. "They're questions to which we'll never know the answer."

He sighed. "Why can you not take your anger out in writing? It's a lot healthier than imagining a practice dummy as a fellow classmate that you don't like."

"Me write?" I twitched.

Judging by his reaction, my facial expression must have made him think that I thought he'd grown a second head, which, truly, would be more realistic.

"It works for some people."

"And I suppose reading old western novels do too."

For the slightest second, he grimaced. "They help take my mind off my problems."

I bit my lip, doing my best to suppress the laugh that was caught in my throat.

He knew me, though. "What's so funny?"

I held up one index finger, signaling to give me a moment, and then burst into laughter. I even had to wipe away tears of mirth before I was able to compose myself again.

Dimitri just stood there. Had I been someone else, I'd say he was just standing there with nothing to do, but I saw the hidden amusement and, not surprisingly, annoyance hidden in his features.

"You can't deny that you've never wanted to put on cowboy boots, hop on a horse, and save a damsel in distress," I mused.

"I can't really say that I have."

"With as many of those books that you read, you can't tell me that it hasn't crossed your mind once." I glanced across the room to see his duster folded over the back of a chair. "Your coat even resembles that of a cowboy's."

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I can say that it hasn't."

"Not even when you were little?"

"_That _is irrelevant."

I grinned. "Not really. I never specified—"

"Rose," he said, practically void of emotion, "I believe we're through for the day."

I huffed. "What? You don't want anyone knowing your deepest, darkest secret?"

Anger flashed in his eyes. "Even if it were true, it wouldn't be my 'deepest, darkest secret.'"

"Then what—?" I blinked. "In many technicalities, _we _aren't a secret."

He closed his eyes momentarily. "Rose, I think you need to leave."

I rolled my eyes and took a step forward. "We still have time to practice. You're supposed to be helping me catch up with the other seniors."

"Which I've done and what I shouldn't have."

"You really are _not _chastising me about Lissa and I running away are you?"

"Someone has to acknowledge the idiocy of it all."

I tried to give my meanest glare then, but it had no effect whatsoever. So, I relied on simply crossing my arms. I didn't have a response to that.

I think Dimitri had actually rendered me speechless. It's a rare occurrence for me to not have something to say to someone.

In the past, Dimitri has made his thoughts known on my maturity. So maybe this blow shouldn't have been as hurtful as it was. I suppose that I was wrong.

"Everyone makes mistakes, but," I sighed, "you know that I was trying to protect Lissa. Not endanger her."

"That still doesn't take away from the fact that you both could have been killed." He straightened up, no longer leaning against the wall. Instead, he was directly in front of me again.

If I didn't know any better, I would say he was bipolar. Since I did know better, I say he was just mood that day. Or thinking over what could have happened.

I dared to look up into his eyes. Those warm brown eyes that always made me melt.

He hesitated before brushing hair out of my face. His expression softened then. "Don't run off again."

The funny thing is that I didn't even know him until right before returning to the academy. He was part of the search-rescue-team-thing…and we didn't really start off on the right foot.

Irony was turning out to be my new best friend.

"I haven't planned on it, but, if you bring it up again—"

He pressed his forehead against mine. "Rose, please."

I smiled. "Okay, fine. So as long as you don't keep denying your cowboy wishes."

"What?" Dimitri chuckled. "Oh, Rose, what am I going to do with you?"

I pondered that statement longer than I should have. There were plenty of things that I'd like him to do with me, but I prefer keeping G-rated thoughts…PG-13, really. I shook my head as if to clear it.

The gym doors swung open then and Dimitri and I jumped back, allowing a foot or so between us.

Inconspicuous I hope.

---

**A/N: **Hmm, this is more difficult to tackle than I thought it'd be. Hopefully I'm not boring anyone or pissing someone off. But, more than likely I am.

So, seriously, I don't mind constructive criticism. Tell me if I'm making anyone out of character, not adding enough detail. Whatever you feel you need to say, say it. I won't mind. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I tend to forget these since I get so wrapped up in trying to work on a new piece. I also try to convince myself that I'm genius behind the characters. Unfortunately, I'm not; Richelle Mead is. Onward with the product of my imagination.

---

If the interruptions kept up, Dimitri and I would be masters of making situations appear inconspicuous in no time.

…Or get caught.

I just hoped that this time wasn't too obvious.

Judging by the look on my mother's face, it wasn't. Then again, I didn't understand her all too well and I really never intend so.

I frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Janine Hathaway's eyes narrowed. Other than that, she stayed composed. "Lord Szelsky wanted to come and visit again. Guardian Petrov asked if I could oversee some combat classes." She nodded at Dimitri. "Guardian Belikov."

Dimitri nodded in return. "Guardian Hathaway."

Just as he was about to leave and unceremoniously end of training for the day, Janine spoke again. "I hope Rose is working well."

He cleared his throat. "As usual. Her staking practices could rival the talent of Guardian Alto and Guardian Petrov."

I scowled at being compared to Stan, my least favorite teacher.

My mother lost control for less than a second and frowned. However, to my dismay, she went back into guardian mode. "I may have to see that for myself. Seeing as how we're already here, why don't we do so now?"

"That seems reasonable enough."

I loved how he was speaking for me now…but maybe that was a good thing whenever my mother is involved. Once she nodded at him again and walked over to the desk in a far corner of the gym, I began fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.

Dimitri sighed. "I'm staying here until you're done. It's best for the dummies so that they're not destroyed with your fury. It's also best so that we don't have an incident similar to the last time you two were in the gym. Not to mention that I'd enjoy keeping my sanity."

"Do you have _any _faith in me?"

"I have plenty of faith in you. I just don't fully trust that you can control your emotions."

"Wow, thanks," I muttered as he handed me the silver stake.

"Just behave."

...

"And you say I can't control my emotions." I laughed a little while later.

Dimitri groaned. He knew that he'd never hear the end of it. "I underestimated you. I'm sorry."

I grinned, pleased that I had, for once, proven him wrong. "At least you know the truth now. I'm not who I was when you and those other guys brought Lissa and I back to the academy."

He heaved one of the dummies onto his shoulder. "You aren't the same. You've grown up a lot in a few months. A lot of what you've faced traumatizes some people. It's obvious that—" he grunted as he set the dummy down in a store room "—you've been affected by them. If you weren't, I'd say that there's something off about you."

"Well, it has taken its toll," I said, ignoring his last statement.

"I've noticed. I wish you hadn't gone through…_that_."

I frowned, reaching over to touch his arm. As always, my hand burned at the physical contact. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

He glanced down to my hand on his arm. I knew that he was doing his best to control his own feelings, much like he warned me. "Rose, you'll miss curfew."

"Don't I need you so that I don't get in trouble?"

"I suppose you're right."

We walked in silence towards the dhampir dorms then. It was nice. Comfortable.

That was until he had become worried for my health. "Are you not going to eat?"

I blinked. "What?"

"You've been in the gym for a while and missed dinner. I figured that you might be hungry."

Had it really been that long? I was hungry, but I was also exhausted.

I was surprised that Lissa wasn't trying to get a hold of me through the bond. Maybe Christian was distracting her. I didn't mind that unless they had one of their romantic escapades in the academy chapel's attic. One night without being interrupted by them would be fantastic.

I shrugged. "One skipped meal—"

"Rose."

"_What?_"

"You should eat.

"It's late. I doubt that whoever cooks the food will be down there. Really, I'll be fine."

He eyed me warily, but would sigh in defeat. "More power to whoever faces you in the breakfast line tomorrow."

I laughed. "Yeah, well, I'll just try to get to the cafeteria early tomorrow. Right after our session. Less people will face my wrath if that works out."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Good luck with that, Sleeping Beauty."

I was tempted to shove him away from me, but decided against it. He was basically right. It was a miracle that I woke up every day to get to the gym for the extra sessions with him. I was a heavy sleeper. Not that that was an unknown fact to the world.

---

_The familiar sensation of one of Adrian's dreams engulfed me from my, otherwise, dreamless sleep._

_I found myself on some beach whilst sporting a red bikini top and jean shorts. The _nazar _my mother had given me for Christmas a few weeks previously was hanging around my neck and the _chotki _that Lissa had given me was on my wrist._

_Typical Adrian. _

_Speaking of, he was approaching and immune to the sun. Something that wasn't possible outside of his dreams. He was wearing green trunks that matched his eyes and his hair was perfectly messy as usual. Yeah, he was good looking, but stalking me in my sleep really put me off._

"_Little dhampir," he breathed. "How has your day been?"_

"_Hell." I scoffed. "What with the rumors and my mother showing up. Your dream walking just puts the icing on the cake."_

_Adrian smiled lazily. "You don't really mean that."_

"_I do."_

_He just shrugged and stared out at the ocean. _

_After a few minutes of silence, I gave in. "Why are you here, Adrian?"_

"_Considering you don't give me the time of day to speak, I thought I'd try night." He shrugged again. "The rumor is getting to you."_

"_No, it—"_

"_Don't try to deny it, Rose."_

_I blinked. He never addressed me with my actual name—or nickname, whatever—unless he was completely serious. _

"_Okay, fine." I crossed my arms across my chest. "It is bothering me, but it's difficult not to ignore it. Dimitri hasn't done one thing that would lead anyone to make up a rumor about him."_

_His eyebrows furrowed as if he were deep in thought. "I think it's to push your buttons. Rumors like to resurface every few weeks about you, right? And you haven't really gotten too worried about it all?"_

"_Well, yeah. But I don't understand. Why would—How would they know?" I groaned and plopped down onto the sand. "We're not that obvious."_

"_No, you're not." He sat next to me, but avoided invading my personal space for once. He seemed to be hurt. "Well, to a degree, you are. When someone looks closely, they can see it in your eyes. Like a light is shining."_

_I felt like I should blush at that observation, but, hearing the strain in his voice, I felt guilty. I always shoved Adrian away and never gave him the time of day, as he said. There just wasn't that connection there that Dimitri and I shared._

"_I'm sorry."_

"_For what?"_

"_Just for things in general. I don't make it easy on you. I know you're looking to be friends," I said, knowing that he wanted more than just a friendship, "and I just push you away."_

"_It's not a problem." He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "You love him don't you?"_

_I bit my lip, making my best attempt at being hesitant. It's not something that I could deny. "Yes."_

_That answer brought back the Adrian I was fond of. He grinned. "Well, then, I'll try harder. A little competition won't hurt."_

_I laughed. "There's not much competition."_

_His eyebrows rose curiously. "What? Do I have to lace my words with a Russian accent to even have a chance?"_

"_Definitely not."_

_Adrian grimaced playfully and tapped his chin. "Well, I'll try to come up with something." He stood up, wiping off sand that had stuck to his trunks and the back of his legs. "For now, I'll let you sleep."_

_I scurried to my feet. "Hold up."_

"_What?"_

"_Friends?" I asked, extending my hand._

"_Friends." Smiling, he took my hand and pulled me into a hug._

-----

**A/N: **And another chapter is finished! I somehow managed to get half of it written at school today, which was a miracle itself. The AP classes that I take require full attention…and so do my other classes. Ah, school's hell this year. :(

Anyway, what'd you think? Too fluffy? Just right? Any suggestions? Constructive criticism? I'm all ears! ...Well, eyes. Whatever. :)

Reviews motivate me. *hint hint*


	4. Chapter 4

_Did you hear about Rose and Guardian Belikov?_

The words rang in my head. Why did they have to drag him into this? I haven't done anything that royally pissed someone off. I know he hasn't done anything to piss anyone off. Except me, but that's a completely different story.

"Rose"

I looked around, finding myself sitting on Lissa's bed. I had let my mind wander while she was looking through her closet. "Hmm?"

"Which one should I wear?" she asked as she held up two dresses. One was a jade color. The other was a baby pink. Both would compliment her well.

"Try the green. It'll make your eyes pop," I suggested, emphasizing the word 'pop.'

Lissa smiled widely, setting the pink dress over the back of her. "Great. Thanks!"

I nodded, idly twirling a bracelet on my finger. "If you don't mind me asking, what's the occasion?"

She rolled her eyes as she slide the jade dress of its hanger. "Have you been listening to me at all for the last twenty minutes?"

"Uh, no. Not really."

She giggled. "In that case, I'm meeting up with Christian soon."

"What's so significant about that that you have to ask for my opinion on what to wear? It'll probably end—you two are around each other all the time." I scoffed. Their rendezvous took me away from my Rose time. It was rather irritating.

"We rarely get away from crowds. So we're meeting at the church."

My eyes narrowed. I had a feeling that whatever I'd be doing later would be interrupted by Lissa and Christian. Damn. "Sounds like fun."

"Yeah." She pursed her lips for a moment. "Why don't you spend time with Adrian or Eddie? You haven't spent much time with either of them since…since we got back from the ski lodge."

I frowned. Despite everyone's attempts to not bring up Spokane directly, I tended to let my mind slip and think of the moment where the life left Mason's eyes after the sickening crack of his neck echoed the room. It's not something I'd soon forget. That I'd ever forget.

I deeply exhaled and put on my usual bravado. "Why should I spend time with them?"

"Because you don't do _anything _anymore Rose!" She momentarily stopped tying the straps of the dress on to wave her arms frantically in the air. "It wouldn't hurt you to spend some time with at least one of them."

"It might kill Adrian though," I muttered.

She shook her head. "Then hang out with Eddie."

"I really don't want to." Maybe I was being a little childish, but it was difficult not to when I figured out that she was trying to see if I'd date one or the other.

"Well, then what do you plan on doing?"

I shrugged. "I may do some homework. Then go to bed."

She frowned. "What fun is that? It's Saturday."

"It's relaxing, quiet fun. I could care less what day of the week it is."

"Okay, fine," she resigned with a sigh. "But when you want to complain about how boring your night was, don't complain to me. I won't listen."

---

I took Lissa's advice. Somewhat.

I could have easily found Eddie and hung out with him and a few other novices, but I wasn't sure where that'd lead. More than likely something involving alcohol or something. Not wanting to be around alcohol automatically took Adrian out of my plans for the day. I really couldn't think of more than a couple times when I'd been around Adrian and he was actually sober.

I decided that I'd head down to the gym for a little while and take out some of my frustration—is that what it was?—on a dummy or something. Hopefully that'd also be enough for me not to find myself in Lissa's head unexpectedly. I just wasn't planning on what happened when I was right outside the gym's doors.

A figure appeared in the distance. Maybe it was a teacher? Maybe a guardian? Maybe a student? I really couldn't tell, but I couldn't help but just stand there. Something about whoever it was intrigued me. That was until I noticed how translucent the figure was. Red hair. Yellow jacket. Green sweater. My eyes widened.

Mason?

That was impossible. He died weeks ago. I saw it happen. He was on the flight back to the academy. The funeral. The empty seat in classes. _How?_

I looked at him closer, seeing the washed out features a lot better now. He was sad. Extremely sad. I really couldn't blame him.

I blinked when I saw that my hand was moving forward and quickly brought it back to my side. I didn't understand why I wasn't moving. I wanted to.

Words lingered on the tip of my tongue, but they never managed to leave, become audible. I couldn't manage to respond to anything.

"Rose?" a voice shouted from behind translucent Mason. When I didn't responded, they called out to me again. "Rose, what are you doing out here?"

I quickly shook my head and turned my attention to the voice's owner: Dimitri. His eyebrows furrowed as he approached. He walked directly through Mason. Did he not see him?

One look at his expression told me that no. He didn't.

Dimitri stood there, directly in front of me. Eyes full of concern. "Is everything alright?"

"I think so."

He studied me for a moment, no doubt not believing my statement, but he didn't press the matter. He simply laced his fingers through mine and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

I smiled at the small gesture. It was nice to know that he cared more than he normally let on. It was more than nice, actually. It was fantastic.

"So, why are you here?" he asked, eyeing the gym door.

"I thought I'd train a little."

"What about homework? Friends?"

I tried my best at raising one eyebrow. It was probably an epic fail. "You're not one to talk about that. Don't you socialize with other guardians, comrade?"

Dimitri rolled his eyes at the nickname. "I'm not as social as you are, Rose." He lightly kissed my forehead before opening the gym door. "If you don't mind, I'll stay here until you feel relaxed—or tired."

"You don't have to. Go do what you were originally going to do. I'll—"

"I was on my way to the gym anyway."

How didn't I notice before? He was simply dressed in a t-shirt and some shorts. I just wasn't paying attention to those. I was fonder of his arm muscles. I knew that he was built from years of training and his few years as a guardian already, but I just never took the time to appreciate it all thanks to training and unfortunate incidents.

I grinned, deciding to tease him. "Personal problems?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. "More than you know, Roza."

My heart fluttered. Dimitri was feeling affectionate.

I felt like I was forgetting—

I then glanced over his shoulder to see Mason's figure fading away. He was even more upset than he had been when I first saw him. I stiffened. He saw the small, loving exchange between Dimitri and I. The intertwined fingers. No one knew about that. I never wanted Mason to find out specifically. He felt too strongly about me. I just couldn't feel mutually about him.

I just _had _to go and fall for my mentor. My insanely good looking, badass mentor. Damn.

"Rose?" Dimitri's voice cut into my thoughts. "Are you sure you're alright?"

I bit my lip and looked up into eyes. They were full of concern. A part of me would be happy that he felt that way, but, at that moment, I felt like I broke my dead best friend's heart. I never thought that was possible.

Instead of confessing, I stepped into the gym. "I'll be fine. Now come on, comrade. I'm ready to kick some dummy ass."

His lips were in a thin line as he shook his head. "I really hope you're right."

And so, we practiced in the gym. It wasn't too different from our extra sessions during the school week. He just wasn't critiquing as much. I wasn't sure if I liked that or not. Against my better judgment, I questioned his role as my mentor. "So, why aren't you correcting my mistakes?"

He finished throwing a punch and raised one eyebrow incredulously. "What do you mean?"

"You're quiet. More so than usual that is." I shrugged. "I figured you'd be making commentary on botchy kicks and punches."

Dimitri wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "I'm not your teacher right now. I don't find a reason in telling you what you're doing wrong."

"Well, that's a surprise," I mutter as I punched one of the dummies.

"Do you _want _me to critique you?"

"Well, no. Unless it's all positive."

He laughed almost melodiously. "It is. You've come a long way in a few months."

"Yeah, I can almost take you down."

"The key word is _almost_, Rose."

I glared at him. "What are you implying?"

Amusement flashed in his eyes. "That you can't beat me."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Do you want it to be a challenge?"

Why did he have to go and answer my question with one of his own? I _loathed _when he did that. "I don't see why I wouldn't. It's not every day a student gets to beat her teacher."

"That remains to be seen, Hathaway."

I rolled my eyes. Why he was calling me by my surname now was beyond me, but two could play at that game. "That may be. I challenge you to a spar, Belikov."

He chuckled. "Challenge accepted."

...

Some kicks, a few punches, and the breath momentarily knocked out of me later, I found myself staring up at the ceiling of the gym. My abdomen ached.

"Shit." I groaned.

"Rose?"

I blinked and slowly sat up. Only to see Dimitri kneeling beside me. I pinched my arm, hoping that I was dreaming. Unfortunately, I wasn't. "What the hell happened?"

Dimitri frowned. "Do you not remember?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I did," I spat. More venom was in my statement than I would have liked, especially toward him, but I hated losing my memory. I was pissed. "So, I repeat myself. _What happened?_"

"We were sparring," he said slowly. I opened my mouth, about to make a retort, but he quickly continued. "You were doing extremely well and I slipped and kicked you with full force. You must have hit your head harder than I thought." He brushed some hair out of my eyes. "Maybe you should lay down. It could help."

"I'll be fine." I pushed his hand away and went to stand up, but I fell flat on my butt when dizziness took over. I groaned again. "Or not."

"Rose," Dimitri murmured, placing his hands on my shoulders, "stop lying and let me help you."

"With what?"

"At the very least with you standing up."

I knew that, whether or not I objected, he'd help me anyway. So, I let him pull me up to my feet. I teetered a little and his hands were immediately on my arms, doing their best to steady me.

"On second thought, I'll help you back to your dorm. There's no way that I trust you'll make it there without falling or hurting yourself."

"I'm not four."

"You aren't, but I'll sleep better at night if I know that you're safe."

I smiled to myself then, not only welcoming the cool breeze that swept the campus, but the knowledge that he cared. For me.

That's when I stumbled a little.

Dimitri stopped both of us, tightening his grip on my arm a little. "Better yet…"

I noticed he began walking again, but in a completely different direction, and was pulling—no, dragging—me along with him. I growled. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Taking you to the doctor."

"What? Why?"

"As I said, I'll sleep better knowing you're safe." I glanced over to see that he was frowning. "I'll sleep even better knowing that you aren't injured."

"A trip to the academy doctor isn't necessary, really. I'll be fine."

"Maybe. But I won't be until I _know_."

I scoffed, especially when I saw the building nearby. I tried pulling myself away, but he kept dragging me along with him.

No. No. No.

And then, doors swung open and I saw the bright lights. Something told me that I shouldn't head toward them, but I really couldn't control my feet right now. Any words Dimitri uttered were blocked out by a sting of profanities crossing my mind.

Dr. Olendzki appeared in front of us.

Damn Dimitri.

------

**A/N: **And another one done. I'm surprised at how fast I'm publishing new chapters, but I'm not losing interest in this one. So, yay me! :)

I should have at least another up this weekend, if I find the time. I don't know my plans yet. Also, excuse any typos. It's been a long day and I've forced myself to stay awake so that I could update tonight.

Anyway. Reviews are like friends. I can never have enough of them. (Ah, the corny line from the author. Who knew?) :P


	5. Chapter 5

"So what seems to be the problem?" Dr. Olendzki asked.

When I was going to answer, Dimitri's voice interrupted me. I scowled. I really should have known that he wouldn't let me speak much. If at all. He must have thought that I would try to say that I was fine and feign a decent state of mind. Maybe he was right about that.

"…and then, I kicked her. She must have been caught off guard because she flew back a few feet and her hand hit the ground with a loud thud." His voice was level, but I detected his concern. "After a couple of minutes, she moved and could _speak_…"

The emphasis he used when he said 'speak' made me realize that he'd be lecturing me about my rudeness later. I frowned.

The Moroi doctor nodded, clicking the top of her pen repeatedly while Dimitri recited his tale of heroism. She eventually stood up straight from previously leaning against the counter. "It shouldn't be too bad if she's her normal self and can walk for the most part." She crouched down a little to be at my eye level. "He eyes are glazed over and—" she straight up again to examine the back of my head "---where her head hit the ground is raised a little, but that should be gone by Tuesday." She shrugged. "As far as breathing goes, it's slightly irregular." Olendzki glanced at me. "If that doesn't improve in a few days, come back and see me."

As soon as we left the doctor's building, I threw my hands up in the air in exasperation. "Why did you take me there? I could have told you that much and I don't even have one of those fancy pieces of paper telling people that I've done the training."

"I told you it will help me sleep better," Dimitri said as he tied his hair back. "Besides, you could have been seriously injured. You'd miss class and I couldn't…" He shook his head. "You'd fall behind again."

I smirked. "I've managed to catch up after two years. A week or two is nothing."

Despite his mouth twitched, he frowned. "This is a different story, Rose."

"Not entirely."

"No, but—"

"But what?" I felt my eyebrows knit together.

Before I could do anything, he pulled me into the dark shadows of a Moroi dorm, almost trapping me between him and the outside wall of the dorm. From what I could see in the shadows, his eyes were wide. Alert.

I was about to say something, but all words were drowned by his lips on mine. Something I didn't expect. He had only initiated one of our stolen kisses from what I could remember.

I eventually reacted though, tangling one hand in his hair and another crinkling the fabric of the back of his shirt. One of his hands was in my hair and the other having the nails practically dig into my hip. I gasped.

Dimitri immediately pulled away. "What's wrong?"

"What has gotten into you?"

"I was worried…" He caressed my cheek. "If you were hurt more than you are, I don't know what I'd do."

I leaned into his hand, closing my eyes briefly. "You're never so open—" I sighed. "Why lose control?"

"Because I…" He looked around frantically, no doubt looking to see who was around.

"You…?" I prompted.

He chuckled. "Always impatient."

"Come on, Belikov! Quit stalling." I should have figured that he'd avoid confessing.

"Rose," he warned.

"What?" I stepped back, away from him.

"You know how I feel. As—"

"As wrong as it is for you to feel that way for multiple reasons. You're my mentor and I'm your student. You're twenty-four; I'm seventeen. We have to protect Lissa. I _know_," I scoffed. "You always say the same thing, no matter what the situation. Stop playing with my emotions and actually _tell_ me how you feel or stick to being my mentor and I'll stick to being your student."

Just thinking those words hurt. I knew how he felt, but I wanted to hear him say it. I was just tired of him implying his feelings. I was tired of being lectured on how wrong it is that we have a relationship.

His face read no emotion. Not even a hint. He was doing that cool seeing-without-actually-seeing thing.

Or at least he was deep in thought.

Dimitri exhaled deeply, after many moments of silence. And he smiled. "Fair enough."

Confused, I, again, tried the one eyebrow trick. "What?"

"I can't tell you here. Or now even."

"Why's that?"

He nodded to a group of Moroi students doing their best to sneak back into the dorms. "Duty calls. Excuse me for a moment."

I watched as Dimitri walked towards the chattering Moroi. For once, I did my best to not eavesdrop…

Suffice to say, my best isn't all that great.

"Oh, hello, Guardian Belikov," one of the girls greeted him cheerfully.

One of the boys in the group did his best to stepping back appear inconspicuous. From what I could tell, he was also trying to mask his fear. "Guardian Belikov."

Dimitri unnecessarily pulled himself to full height. "I hope you realize that curfew was twenty minutes ago."

The girl who spoke up just before shrugged. "That's why we were heading back to the dorms now. We lost track of time."

"What…makes you…think…that we care…about curfew?" The words were clearly slurred and from a different guy in the group.

I scoffed when I realized that it was Jesse Zeklos. I glanced over the others with him. I saw Ralf Sarcozy, Camille Conta, and a few non-royals. Being the naïve dhampir that I am, I stepped out of the shadows. I wanted to catch more of the conversation and see the reactions more closely. A few of them were shocked; the others were amused.

Ralf spoke up then. Sort of "Why don't you…complain to Hathaway? She's out…after curfew…too!"

Dimitri glanced over his shoulder to see me standing in the vague light. He was frustrated with me. I didn't expect any less. He just turned his attention back to the others. "Miss Hathaway had an accident and had to be taken to see the doctor on campus. I was escorting her back to dorm, which is excused around here." He crossed his arms over his chest. "What isn't excused is alcohol. I don't know how you managed to get your hands on any, but that isn't what matters at the moment. I hope you all acknowledge that I'll be reporting you to the headmistress."

I laughed to myself. As much as I hated being on the receiving end of Dimitri's lectures, I enjoyed watching him lecture others. Particularly those select few that I didn't like.

"No one…ever goes… to…Kirova…for punishment," Jesse hissed.

"I suppose that makes me 'No one' then, wouldn't it?" Dimitri tilted his head to the side as if he was thinking of something. "_Or _I can deal with you myself."

I took another step forward, not able to contain myself much longer. "If you don't mind my interruption, Guardian Belikov," I began, enjoying myself way too much for the given situation, "but I feel that taking them to Kirova would be a bit too much since they're just out after curfew and drinking. Guardian Petrov may have a punishment in mind, though."

Dimitri glanced at me again. I wasn't winning brownie points with him, but it was too difficult to pass up. And it wasn't that bad of an idea. Alberta was intimidating. "You may have a point, Ro—Miss Hathaway."

I smiled. More that he had to correct himself than actually agreeing with me. Moments such as these are the ones where I'd take 'bitch' as a compliment.

For the rest of the encounter, I just watched in absolute amusement.

Dimitri eventually began walking down the paved path and I followed suit. He was wearing his guardian mask.

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"What for?"

"I don't think I made that any easier. Jesse and Ralf really seemed to be—"

"They were trying to get through a punishment by name and family." He glanced over at me. "It doesn't matter whether or not they're royalty when breaking the rules. And trying to take you down with them is disgusting."

"It's typical for them though. So, I wasn't really surprised that they did."

"You should have stayed hidden."

"You never said that I had to hide."

"Rose, do you always have to act on impulse?"

I laughed. "If I did, either you'd have a black eye by now or we'd be hiding in the shadows again."

"I don't think you're kidding."

"I'm not."

He opened the door to the dhampir dorm and ushered me in. "I wish you wouldn't say things like that."

"Why?" I asked quickly and it suddenly seemed to be asking a lot of questions lately.

"You don't let me finish," he whispered, behind me on the stairs.

I stopped and turned around to face him. "By all means, do."

Dimitri came to a halt. He was on the stair directly behind me—well, in front now—and extremely close. "I wish you wouldn't say things like that," he repeated. "At least in a public area."

"If you haven't noticed, this is a school, comrade. Everywhere is public."

He shook his head. "No, not everywhere."

"What do you mean?"

"Later. I'll tell you later."

I was half-tempted to stomp my foot and complain. I truly wanted to know what he was talking about. Instead, I glanced behind me. "I think that I can make it to my room by myself from here. It's not that far."

His eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue. He simply stepped down. "Fair enough. Goodnight Rose."

"Night," I smiled and made my way to the room for the night.

---

The next morning, I entered the cafeteria in a rather jubilant mood.

The smile on my face didn't even falter when there were more stares and whispers. I simply swiped a doughnut from the line and plopped down in a seat next to Adrian.

I was nibbling on the dough, allowing my mind to wander. The kiss Dimitri and I shared the night before lingered for a while and I sighed dreamily.

Adrian lightly nudged me. I jumped."Yeah?"

"Why are you in such a good mood today?" His eyes were squinted as he looked me over. No doubt he was trying to understand my aura. And his next words confirmed as much. "Pink…yellow…There are still shadows, but not as many today."

"Can I not be happy?"

"Why are you happy?"

Damn. Even Adrian was answering questions with questions.

I sighed. "What do you mean?"

"There's another rumor floating about the academy." He frowned, leaning back in his chair. "It's a little worse."

What the hell was he talking about? "What the hell are you talking about, Adrian?"

"You haven't heard?"

I shook my head. "I've been canceling out everyone for once. I kind of wanted a day to calm down. I don't think that will happen now."

"No, I don't think it will."

"You're really not helping." I glared at him.

"I don't suppose I am." He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Better from you than someone that I want to punch in the face."

He looked taken aback by that and exaggerated by putting a hand over his heart. "Did I hear you correctly?"

"Don't push it. I just might want to punch you if you keep up the antics."

"Fine." Adrian clasped his hands together and twiddled his thumbs. "Well, the new gossip is—"

"_Rose!_"

Adrian and I both turned to see Lissa and Christian approaching the table. It was practically another sense of déjà vu.

Lissa looked angry. Christian looked amused.

Lissa just happened to slam her hands down on the table and draw even more attention to me. "What's with everyone saying you're pregnant?"

* * *

**A/N: **Hmm. I'm pleased with myself. Two chapters in as many days. I'm not completely satisfied with this one, but I'm my own worst critic. What do I know?

Reviews=Love. :)


	6. Chapter 6

"_What?_" I asked, absolutely infuriated.

"That's it," Adrian muttered, scooting his chair a little away from me. He looked at Lissa closely. "I was just about to tell her?"

Lissa's face fell. "Were you?"

"Yes. And I was going about it in a much more subtle way." He raised an eyebrow. "One that wouldn't draw even more attention."

I grimaced as I leaned forward in my chair and rested my chin on my folded arms. "I don't understand how I even would be. I've never slept with anyone. _And _it's impossible for dhampirs to reproduce with one another."

Lissa gnawed on her bottom lip. "Well, there's more to the rumor."

"They're saying something about a late night doctor visit last night. And that you were there with Guardian _Belikov_," Adrian spat his name almost as if it was a dirty word. I glared at him "And something about shadows. I didn't understand that part."

"How'd they get that?" I really don't think anyone could have seen us, even with the advanced senses both Moroi and dhampirs possessed. It was just too dark where we were hiding. I frowned. "I was at the doctor last night, but that was after a training incident and I had the wind knocked out of me and my head hit the floor."

"Were you with Belikov?"

I really hoped that I didn't blush and give myself away. I nodded. "Yeah, he caught me off guard and kicked me pretty hard in my gut. He's one of the best guardians for a reason."

"Why were you training yesterday?" Christian asked a bored look on his face.

"I thought you were going to hang out with Adrian or Eddie," Lissa squeaked.

"No. I never said that I would, Liss. I just decided that I'd go practice a little and let out a little frustration. I seem to have a lot of that lately. I just happened to run into Dimitri there." Somehow, mentioning seeing my dead classmate didn't seem like it'd help much.

"You know," Christian observed, "being on a first name basis with him doesn't help your little situation."

"I don't normally agree with Sparky, but he has a point." Adrian smiled lazily.

"You two really are not helping the cause," I muttered.

Christian smirked. "I'm not trying to help. I'm just stating the obvious."

"Well, _I _am trying to help, Ozera," Adrian snapped. Huh.

_Are you okay?_ Lissa asked through the bond. I shrugged and she sighed. _Don't let it get to you. It's just a nasty rumor._

"A nasty rumor that could get me expelled. One that can get him fired," I replied aloud.

She frowned. "I don't think the headmistress and Guardian Petrov would believe any gossip they hear. They're smarter than that."

"I really hope you're right, Liss."

"Not to be the bearer of bad news, but there's your lover now, Rose." Christian nodded behind me.

I bit back a comment; it only would have raised questions had I defended a relationship. I turned around to see Dimitri entering the cafeteria. His eyes scanned the room before walking toward the line. He was in guardian mode, so I had no doubt that he was ignoring the attention that he was receiving. And, as he was leaving the cafeteria, his eyes scanned the room. For a moment, they rested on me. Then, without even a nod of acknowledgement, he abruptly turned on his heel and left.

Yeah, he was pissed.

Whether it was at me or something else, I couldn't tell.

…

I decided that I'd go for a little walk after breakfast instead of going to the church service. Adrian decided to follow me and I didn't really object. I needed someone to talk to about all that was going on. Better him than some counselor. Plus, he knew about how I felt about Dimitri and vice versa. Despite how he felt about me, I'm sure he understood.

We sat down by the trunk of a tall evergreen on the edge of the forest. The ground wasn't all that wet anymore from the snowfall the month before. It was nearly dry. Whether or not the bottom of my pants got dirty was much of a bother for me. For a moment, I reminisced about the snowball fight at the ski lodge. I sighed.

"Are you okay, little dhampir?" Adrian asked, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

I didn't fight him off. I just leaned my head on his shoulder. Biting his head off is one of the last things I needed. Plus, it was kind of nice. "I'm not sure."

He sighed, leaning his head on top of mine. "You don't have to deal with this alone. I hope you know that."

"I do," I breathed, hugging myself to stay warm. "Thanks."

I felt, rather than heard, him chuckle. "Do my ears deceive me or did Rose Hathaway just thank Adrian Ivashkov?"

I rolled my eyes. "Well, her mouth deceived her and thanked him. Don't get too happy about it."

"No, no. I'll take it for all that it is worth. It's not every day that you're nice."

"Shut up," I laughed.

He squeezed my shoulder that his hand rested on.

As much as I antagonized Adrian, he really was a great friend. With his dream stalking, innuendos, flirting, alcohol, and clove cigarettes aside that is. As I've said, he was good looking. He was nearly my type of guy. Tall, handsome, and older. The only thing missing was a tan and the practical electrocution I got from simply touch him. I still felt safe around him.

I felt nauseous then. But a good nauseous, as weird as it sounds. It was a weaker feeling that I got when I was around Dimitri, but it brought comfort all the same. His touch was warm, but didn't burn. I glanced up at him, the slightest bit curious. I'd told him that I loved Dimitri, but I never have given Adrian a chance. He's given me numerous chances and never gave up.

Adrian laughed softly. "Why are you looking at me like that?" His eyes raked over me. Well, if I didn't know his expressions better, I'd see he was checking me out, but he was examining my aura again. "And why is your aura so bright today? Yellow again. It's even a little pink again too."

"I'm not sure." I pondered my next motive for a moment. From what I understood, yellow can be happy and pink can be loving. I really couldn't believe what I was about to do. "Hey, Adrian?"

His eyebrows shot up and he looked at me curiously. "Hmm?"

I resituated myself and did my best to be at eye level with him. I uncrossed my arms and found myself almost caressing his cheek. I laughed at the shock he wore on his face. And that's all I really needed.

I leaned forward and lightly pressed my lips to his. I just wanted to test the waters and that's what I had done. So, I pulled back quickly and watched his frustration grow. I'm not going to lie. There was something there. Had I never kissed Dimitri, maybe this would be my definition of romantic chemistry.

His eyes narrowed. "What was that for?"

"I wanted to see if we had some type of connection." I leaned my head back on his shoulder.

"And how'd your little experiment go?" He tried to keep his voice level, but I heard the pain he was trying to mask.

"I'm sorry." I shut my eyes tightly. I don't know how… Damn, I felt awful. "If it makes you feel any better, I did feel something."

"Did you really?"

I smiled at hearing the hope in his voice. "I did."

"I can live with that." He wrapped his other arm around me and pulled me into a hug. "But, just so you know, I'll do what I can to make you feel for me like you do for the Russian cradle robber."

I scoffed. "Don't call him that."

"Fine, but you know that it's true."

"You're three years younger than him, which is still four years older than me. I'm still only seventeen. I'm not legally an adult yet." I opened my eyes and glanced up to see that he was grinning. "You're not much better off."

"But I'm still better off."

Damn. I really needed to stop saying things that could have a double meaning. Especially when I was around Adrian. I groaned. It would make things a lot easier if I loved Adrian rather than Dimitri. It made more sense. The age difference wasn't as troublesome. Reproduction was actually possible. And I wouldn't have to worry about the complications that came with both halves of the couple being guardians.

And yet, I still loved Dimitri. Adrian was a friend.

That's all. It was that simple.

Actually, no. It was complicated as hell.

-------

**A/N: **Another chapter already? Hmm. I contemplated making this longer, but something short and sweet seemed perfectly fine.

I honestly hope no one actually thinks that Rose would be pregnant. I mean, really. I've read the books a few times each. I know that dhampirs are like mules. Eh, but I have theories about certain things in the books, such as that…and Dimitri's mortality. I just won't share them or incorporate them into this…at least not yet. I'm not sure.

Nevertheless, I'd love to know how you feel about this filler (for the most part) chapter. A little treat to those who prefer Adrian/Rose… :)


	7. Chapter 7

I decided that I'd get up earlier than usual the next morning. Lissa and Christian were at it again and I didn't want my mind to continuously slip into that while I was sleeping. It was a lot easier to block out their escapades when I was awake. For that, I was thankful.

I even beat Dimitri to the gym. Victory for me! Two rare occurrences for me within half an hour of each other. My moment just didn't last long. And that's when the gym doors opened. I half-expected Dimitri to be angry like he had the morning before.

Only he wasn't. He was happier than I'd ever seen him.

I looked over the few people—an elderly woman, a middle aged woman, and a little boy—that were accompanying him. They shared some of the same features that he did and I assumed that this had to be some of his family. Looking at the boy startled me. He was like a miniature clone of Dimitri and I became highly curious. Could he have…? No. I doubt it.

Their conversation dimmed when they had acknowledged that I had been there. Dimitri smiled a little wider. "Good morning, Rose."

I nodded, confused. "Morning."

In a few steps, he was standing next to me, one hand on my shoulder. He first addressed his family. "This is my student, Rose Hathaway." They greeted me with smiles; the boy's voice carried cheerfully. I also noticed that the elderly woman had a knowing glint in her eye. I glanced up at him, but he was already introducing them. "Rose, this is my grandmother, Yeva. My mother, Olena. And my nephew, Paul."

I grinned, partly because I was trying to make a good first impression and partly because I was laughing at how ignorant I had been. A thought occurred to me then. "What about your sisters? Where are they?"

His mother smiled and answered for him. "They're home since they couldn't make it. Sonya and Karolina are in no condition to fly. Viktoria is at St. Basil's. I'd rather not take her out of her classes, no matter how much she would love to see her brother. All three of them would love to see their brother, though."

That left me wondering about Paul for a moment. He was around ten and should be in school too. I didn't question it aloud though. Maybe they did things differently where they're from. Or, as crazy as it seemed to me, his grandmother liked to spoil him. I could just be so accustomed to parents taking the route that mine did and have little to do with their children and leave them to be raised by the academy.

I was envious. They had an entire family. They were there for each other all the time.

A far cry from what I had.

Or didn't have, for that matter.

Dimitri removed his hand from my shoulder. "We have a training session soon," he said stating the obvious. For a second, I thought he was telling me and I nearly said something, but then I remember his family… "You can stay and watch if you'd like. Or you can walk around the campus."

"Oh, Dimka," Olena exclaimed, "I'm sorry. We don't want to keep you from doing your job." Her eyes flickered to me and she almost seemed to be amused. "We'll just walk around. Good luck with your training, Rose."

"It was a pleasure meeting you." Ah, I was turning out to be Dimitri clone—as far as manners went. I smiled, watching Olena take hold of her grandson's hand.

Paul whined, "I want to stay and watch Uncle Dimka!"

"Paul, don't—"

Dimitri calmly waved a hand. "It's alright if he stays and watches."

His mother eyed him warily, but sighed in defeat. "Alright." She released Paul's hand and crouched down to be at his eye level. "Behave for your uncle. And don't get in the way. You could get hurt."

Paul impishly grinned. "I'll be good."

I couldn't help but laugh when Dimitri's mother and grandmother left the gym.

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." I rubbed my cheek after my laughing fit. "Your nephew just reminds me—"

He smiled. "Of yourself?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

…

"Whoo!" Paul shouted as soon as the morning training was over. He ran from the chair that he, more or less, felt he was sentenced to for the past hour and up to his uncle's side.

I nearly went into a fit of laughter. I was growing fonder of the kid by the second.

Dimitri couldn't keep the instructor role that he had slipped into some time during that hour. He smiled. "I hope that you didn't get too bored."

The boy shook his head. "Not at all."

"Good." Dimitri ruffled his nephew's hair. I blinked, surprised that he was in such high spirits and had a different side to him that I'd never seen before. Then again, this hidden side came from actually getting along with his family. He looked at me, clearly amused about something. "What?"

I shrugged. "I've just never seen you so laid back."

"It's difficult not to be laid back at the moment."

"I see." A question lingered on the tip of my tongue for a moment. I didn't want to be rude, but I couldn't help myself. In true Rosemarie Hathaway fashion, I asked, "Why were your mother and grandmother so comfortable around me?"

"Oh, you noticed?" He retied his hair at the nape of his neck. "They're always kind, even to people that they don't know. But," he continued, "they've heard a lot about you and they feel like they _know _you already, despite they just met you."

"They've heard a lot about me?" My heart fluttered.

He nodded in confirmation. "Yes. And Yeva, well, she _knows._"

"What? How?"

"That's the way she is," he said with a shrug.

Something about how he said it told me that he wasn't telling me everything, but I didn't press the matter. He would have elaborated if it matter. "Ah, I better—Oh, before I forget…" I gnawed on my bottom lip.

"Yes?"

"When I saw you yesterday, you looked p—" I caught myself, remembering that Paul was still there, watching our conversation like a ping pong match. "You looked angry."

"I had just gotten out of a meeting with the headmistress and Guardian Petrov."

"Oh?" I frowned.

"They aren't oblivious to what you all talk about."

"And?"

"_And _they asked questions."

I could tell that it was irritating him. I was just curious as to what happened. "What'd they say after all that?"

"Rose…"

"What?" I was close to throwing my hands in the air. "This has as much to do with me that it does you. I want to know."

He sighed. He knew I had a point. "They'll be making appearances at our training until the field experience next week."

"That's all?"

"What did you expect?" he deadpanned. "They don't actually believe what's being said."

"I expected to be dragged by the ear to Kirova's office and for her to believe it. She'd believe anything that would lead to me being kicked out of this place." My eyebrows furrowed. "And don't say it's not true."

"But it's not, Rose. Believe it or not, but Headmistress Kirova has seen the change in you." I went to say something, but, as usual, he prevented me from speaking my mind. "Whatever you did before you went on 'vacation' for two years to make the poor woman dislike you is beyond me, but that doesn't take away from her acknowledging your potential and dedication. She wouldn't expel you unless she found it absolutely necessary. You're her most promising student."

I rolled my eyes. "Is that _her _speaking or _you_?"

He was wearing a lopsided grin. I just wanted to melt. "Both."

Paul began tugging on my arm then. I looked down at him curiously. "Yes?"

He grinned mischievously. "Before we left, Aunt Vikki said that you and Uncle Dimka are getting married."

"Why'd she say that?" Dimitri asked, almost indifferent. Maybe he was just immune to anything his kid sister said. Or it could be how gullible nephew was. I couldn't tell.

"'Cause Grandmother _saw _it."

"_Paul!_"

And so, I watched a Russian verbal ping pong match. I had no clue what was being said between the uncle and his nephew, but it was still entertaining.

…

I may have been ecstatic after my training with Dimitri and surprisingly meeting some of his family, but my mood dropped significantly when I reached my first class of the day. I had nearly forgotten that my mother was back at the academy and would be helping in novice classes. I silently cursed. I didn't need her killing my good mood. We may have gotten along right after the Spokane incident, but that didn't make us terribly close. Just closer than we used to be.

I stomped over to Eddie and crossed my arms. Yeah, I was acting like a five year old, but I really did not want to see her.

He laughed. "What's gotten you in a grumpy mood?"

"My mother."

He scanned the room, eyes stopping when he spotted the petite figure of Janine Hathaway. "What'd she do?"

"She's _here_," I hissed.

He laughed again. "She's not as awful as you make her out to be, Rose."

"I know."

"Then why do you hate her?"

"I don't." I blinked. "I just don't want her ruining my good mood."

"Well, why are you in a good mood?"

If I didn't like Eddie, I probably would have punched him by that time. I lied, "Just am."

"Right." He slowly nodded as he watched the last of the novices file into the room. "It's none of my business, so I won't ask."

That's why I liked Eddie so much. He knew when to stop.

I smiled and playfully punched him in the arm. His eyebrows shot up in confusion. "Yeah?"

"How's your day been?"

"I don't know yet. I've only been up for a little. Not all of us have to get up at the crack of dusk for training with a Russian guardian."

I snorted. "No, but that training has brought me to the top of the class."

"In that case," he pondered, "I may wake up earlier than usual once so that I can see why that is. It's not fair that you get to have all the glory."

"But it is," I said smugly. "You were here for two years that I wasn't. I caught up and then some in just a couple months. I deserve the glory, Mister Castile."

"Someone has an ego today." He said this while smiling, so it was obvious that he was still playing along. "Well, larger than usual."

I rolled my eyes and shoved him, laughing. "Shut up."

Janine finally spoke up then. "Everyone, pair off! We're starting with…"

…

That had to be the longest combat class I'd ever had. It seemed to be a classic Janine Hathaway thing: Go over the basics. That's all that we did that day. Had this been a couple months ago, I would have thought that she was being elementary about it all to teach me a lesson. Now that I had gotten to kind of know her, I think she was just seeing where exactly we were when it came to combat. So I guess it made sense.

My mother pulled me aside after class.

I sighed, thinking I probably did something wrong. So, I rambled… "Sorry for whatever mistake that I made. I'll do be—"

"What are you talking about?"

"I figured you would give me a critique on how I did. Am I wrong?"

Her face was stoic again. "Yes and no."

"What do you mean?"

"I was—_am_ congratulating you on doing well today. Training with Guardian Belikov has really helped."

_In more ways than one_, I silently added. I was grinning goofily. "Well, thanks."

She nodded curtly. "I also wanted to discuss what's been going on around here."

"Wha—Oh, _that_."

"Yes, that." She let her guardian mask slip for the first time she'd been back here. She was worried, concerned, confused. I really couldn't tell what all she felt. I thought she was the type to tell me to ignore what others said. "It has gotten serious. Have you done anything about it?"

I shook my head. "No, I've been doing my best to ignore it. It's just difficult when they change something about it every few days. I don't even know how it started." I figured telling her that I had suspicions as to _who _started the rumors would just lead her to lecture me about not jumping to conclusions.

A line creased in her forehead, her eyebrows raised and a frown set on her mouth. "If you need to talk about it—"

"I'll be fine," I interjected. "Something else will get their attention soon and the whole Guardian Belikov and Rose Hathaway stuff will be old gossip." _Or so I hope_. "I'm a big kid now, Mom, don't worry about me."

Her frown deepened. "Rose—"

"Really, I'll be fine."

She placed her hand on my shoulder for a moment and then she walked away without saying another word.

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**A/N: **Here we go. Another new chapter. :)  
Just so that I can get it out of the way, I'd just like to say that I nearly go into laughing fits when I see it fit to bring up Spokane. For those of you who haven't read my profile, I'm from there and it's nice to criticize it every now and again—directly or not. Wow, I'm weird.  
Moving on…  
Thanks everyone for the kind reviews; you really don't know how much they make my day. Yeah, my ego's gotten a little big about it all, but at least I can admit it…  
What do you think about bringing in other Belikovs? Good? Bad? Stupid? Tell me. I'm also looking for a few suggestions for the next chapter or two. So, even more reviews would be fantastic. :)


	8. Chapter 8

For the most part, the next few hours were only eventful, which is saying much, thing to happen was falling asleep in my theory class. I just wasn't anticipating what happened next.

_I recognized the feeling of one of Adrian's dreams. I was on the porch of the ski lodge, where we'd first met, again. This time, it was still winter time I refused to see what I had been wearing. I had no doubt that it'd just piss me off as usual. Instead, I took in my surroundings. Everything was exactly as I'd remembered. Peaceful. And yet, I hated the place with a passion, despite the reason why I hated it hadn't taken place there._

_I saw Adrian sitting on one of the porch steps. I brushed some snow off the same step and sat down beside him. For a minute, there was a comfortable silence._

_His eyes squinted as he took in the landscape. "Why are you asleep?"_

"_Alto's class is boring."_

"_Guardian Alto already hates you, little dhampir. You're just giving him more justification as to why he does."_

"_Yeah. I don't care, honestly." I glanced over at him. "So, why are you dream walking right now?"_

"_Boredom got the best of me too. I didn't actually expect to be pulled into anyone's dreams, but at least I can get a laugh out of it."_

"_What were you planning on doing if you actually got in someone's dream?"_

_His face fell as he thought about it. He would eventually tilt his head to the side, smiling vaguely. "Like I said, I didn't expect for this to actually happen. So, I didn't plan what I'd talk about with anyone." He looked at me for the first time and smiled brightly. "I'm actually surprised that you're the one who's asleep. What with how serious you are about becoming a guardian. What would Belikov say?"_

_I rolled my eyes. "I couldn't help myself today. I didn't get the best sleep last night and the constant training took its toll on me. Plus, I hate this stupid theory class. The last thing I want to do is listen to is Alto lecture us."_

_Adrian went to say something, but he seemed to decide against it. He sighed. "You're waking up."_

_I cursed under my breath._

I sat straight up at my desk, only to look into the angry face of Guardian Stan Alto, my least favorite teacher. I about smiled at him and apologize, but he pointed to the door and yelled, "Out of my classroom, Miss Hathaway."

I scoffed, gathering my things and leaving the room. Just before I left, I turned around and saw Eddie watching, amused. I mouthed 'Tell me what I miss' and he replied with a nod. I turned on my heel and left.

…

It was lunch time now. As usual, I was sitting with Lissa, Christian, and Adrian. The atmosphere was comfortable. For the most part.

Adrian had taken our conversation from the day before to heart. He would suggest dates and getaways; in turn, I'd point out that I was still a student and couldn't leave campus, unless it was approved by the almighty administration of the academy. Truly, I didn't understand why he gave so much effort; he was just fighting a lost battle. But, I'd still smile and nodded every few minutes, humoring him.

A shrill, prepubescent voice cut into my focus. "Rose!" My head shot up and I looked around the room, eventually find the source: Paul. I waved lightly right as he hopped into the seat next to me. He was beaming. "_Hi_."

"Hi, Paul."

The others shot me confused glances. Peeved that he had been interrupted, Adrian spoke up, "Who's this?"

"Oh, sorry." I shifted in the seat. "Everyone, this is Paul." Lissa smiled appreciatively, but still was confused. Christian and Adrian just nodded. I introduced them to Paul.

The boy's smile stayed. At least until a flustered Olena scurried to the side of the table. "I'm so sorry, Rose. I think Paul is a little anxious today. I really don't know why." I noticed that her accent was considerably thicker than Dimitri's, which made it a little more difficult to understand what she was saying at first.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure he's just happy to be visiting his uncle."

"Who's his uncle?" Lissa frowned.

"Guardian Belikov."

She smiled at Lissa, Christian, and Adrian. "I'm Olena, _Dimitri's _mother." Olena shot me a pointed look, aware that I was on a first name basis with her son. I couldn't really blame her.

To say Lissa was ecstatic would be an understatement. "Oh! Hi. I'm Lissa Dragomir."

I nearly want to pound my head into the table after that. Olena bowed to Lissa, then to Adrian and Christian once they introduced themselves. I wasn't really surprised when they had asked her to not bow and just call them by their first names. I did notice the small elation Christian felt for being treated like the royal he was, instead of the indifference nearly everyone else showed him.

What did surprise me was when Yeva entered the cafeteria.

She had her arm linked with Dimitri's and guided him across the room and toward us. Naturally, they were speaking in Russian and I had no idea what was being said. Their tones were similar to those of Dimitri's and Paul's a few hours before and I recognized a few of the words they had uttered too. I took a mental note saying that I needed to try and get him to tell me their definitions. I doubted it would work, but I did say _try_.

Yeva still had that knowing glint in her eye as she looked at me. I had to admit that it was kind of freaking me out.

Paul exhaled deeply as he turned his attention back to me and spoke in one breath, "So-what-about-what-Aunt-Vikki-say-about-you-and-Uncle-Dimka?" He caught his breath and continued. "Was she right?"

I groaned and slammed my head on the table. Why did this kid have so much energy? For a moment, I wondered if he had ADD or something, but I shoved that thought away and settled with the answer that I had given Olena about him being excited to see Dimitri. After a few more seconds, I sat back up, rubbing my forehead, and took in the amused—or, in Dimitri's case only, frustration—faces of the Belikovs. Lissa, Christian, and Adrian were flat out confused.

I didn't really know why I decided to give myself a headache and I was angry with myself that I had, but I'd take care of that later. I made a small shoulder gesture that wasn't even worthy enough to be called a shrug as I glanced down at Paul. "I'd rather not talk about that right now. Maybe later?"

The boy frowned, but didn't object. He simply held up a fist, only having his pinky finger stick up. I laughed, nodded, and wrapped my own pinky finger around his.

Something flashed in Dimitri's eyes when mine met his. He cleared his throat, which got everyone's attention. "If you all don't mind, I'd like to have a word with Rose."

I wasn't expecting that. I just stood up and made my way toward the exit without a word to anyone. Dimitri was at my side almost immediately.

We walked outside for a little while in complete silence. We didn't always need words when around each other. It was nice. I really didn't understand why he would want to talk to be privately, but I followed anyway. I figured he was just going to complain about me falling asleep in class.

I took advantage of campus being temporarily deserted and reached over to grab his hand. When he didn't let go, I couldn't help but smile. I exaggerated a little by swing our arms back and forth a little. Dimitri looked down at our hands swinging in the air and laughed. I nearly felt like my legs had turned into jelly. His laugh was one that I so rarely heard and it always so harmonious.

I was surprised that he was risking this much. After all, he was the one that always was chastising that anything more than a student-mentor relationship was wrong. My being a student and being Lissa's future guardian along with him was too dangerous. _They come first_. I frowned at the thought.

He came to a halt and looked at me. "Are you okay?"

I tried to swallow. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He frowned. "Rose."

"What?" I looked into his eyes. His deep brown eyes. The ones I could get lost in. "It's not like we should be doing this."

He dropped my hand immediately. "You're the one saying that _we _are wrong?"

"No." I shook my head. "_We _are right. It's just that, if we do this, we'd be putting whatever Moroi we guard in danger, just like you always say. I don't know how I'd live with myself if I let that happen to anyone, especially Lissa." I coughed. "I also don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

He smothered me with a hug then. I buried my face in his chest, inhaling the scent of his after shave. I calmed down. At least until I heard a sob. I pulled my head back a little and brushed my fingertips across my cheek. When did I start crying?

Dimitri sighed. "Don't worry about it. We'll figure something out," he murmured into my hair, still keeping his hold on me. "Everything will be fine, Roza."

I smiled, wiping my own tears again. "I really hope so."

"I hope that I'm not interrupted something."

Dimitri and I jumped apart, facing the new third party: Eddie.

I gave a sigh of relief. I'd be freaking out had it been someone else. "No, you're not interrupting anything." Why was he here? "Why are you here?"

"You wanted me to tell you what happened in Guardian Alto's class after you left, remember? I went to the cafeteria, but some little kid said that you and his uncle were having a talk." His arms were crossed. "I'm curious, but I'm not going to ask."

Dimitri just stood there, in complete guardian mode. I sniffed. "What happened in class?"

Eddie shrugged. "We reviewed the basics."

"Why?"

"The field experience starts this week. He wanted to make sure we're ready."

"So why did he kick me out?"

"You were sleeping," he said slowly, uncrossing his arms and frowning. "You were also mumbling in your sleep."

"Was I?" Adrian had visited my dream during class. I didn't think talking in my sleep was possible. "What did I say?"

"I couldn't make it all out." He ran a hand through his hair. "You did say something about Mason…"

"Oh." I didn't—Before Adrian showed up, I was dreaming about seeing his ghost the other day. Ghost? I think stress was getting the best of me. "I had a dream about him."

Eddie's face paled. He had been Mason's best friend. Obviously he was just as—if not more—effected by his death as I was. He forced himself to smile "I'd best get going. I'll see you in class."

I started to follow Eddie, but Dimitri grabbed my arm and guided me a little way into the forest nearby. He pressed me up against a tree, placing his hands on either side of me and trapping me there.

"Rose, why didn't you tell me that you've been having dreams about Mason? I may have been able to help."

"I haven't had them often." I glanced down at the forest floor. "Actually, I think the first one was today."

A line creased in his forehead. "Don't be afraid to tell me anything."

"I'm not." I rubbed my eyes. They had been stinging for a while.

He caught my hands, intertwining his fingers with mine. His eyes scanned the area before resting on me again. "I've been thinking."

"What about?"

"About what you said. I should be contradicting myself every time I see you." He sighed. "I shouldn't have the feelings I do. I should choose only being your mentor."

"Then why don't you?" His constant change of mind was turning out to become one huge headache. I was about to giving up on it all. Close, but I couldn't.

"Do you remember why I didn't take Tasha's offer?"

I forced myself not to scowl at the mentioning of Tasha Ozera. Had she not tried to pry Dimitri away from the academy to become her guardian with fringe benefits, I'd almost like her. She was nice and didn't let her royal name give her an ego, which, after what happened to Christian's parents, it made plenty of sense. What with majority of the vampire world believed that any Ozera would go Strigoi any moment.

I nodded slowly. "Something about your heart is somewhere else." I actually remembered the day clearly. He'd told me that he turned down Tasha's offer. I'd been listing off reasons why we shouldn't be together. Then he kissed me.

He was so close in that moment. I could see the shades of brown, even in the shadows of the forest at night. I could distinctly see the slight stubble trailing along his jaw. When he smiled, it was extremely bright.

"Yes," he breathed. "Even then, I implied how I felt."

What was he on about? I watched as he carefully planned his next words. I'd never felt so much anxiety in my life to hear what a person would say.

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**A/N: **Thought I'd update again. I'm not completely sure about this one, but that may be because I've been writing this at the same time as an extremely personal piece for my AP English class. That should have come first, but it didn't. Oops.  
Anyway…  
What do _you _think? Suggestions? :)


	9. Chapter 9

I watched as his lips puckered and his head tilt to the side. Whatever he was thinking had to be deep or critical. I was hoping for the former, but Dimitri never followed through with my wishes. If he did, his lips would be on mine already and we wouldn't be in the middle of the forest; we'd be in either one of our rooms or somewhere else away from the academy. Of course, I was out of my mind for even thinking—

"I love you."

--that. I mean he is my mentor after all. He constantly told me—and _himself_—that we shouldn't be together.

Wait a minute. What'd he say?

I blinked my eyes back into focus only to see pain gradually write itself onto his face. I frowned and reached up to caress his cheek. A ghost of a smile appeared. For the slightest second, I was surprised, but I quickly relaxed.

"I love you," he repeated.

My breath hitched. He had really said it. I stayed silent.

"Rose?"

"Uh." I stuttered. Great. I ruined the perfect moment, as usual. I shook my head quickly before looking back into his eyes. "I love you, too."

Any traces of fear and concern were erased. He beamed, much like his nephew did when something fascinated with something. Ever since his family had arrived, he was happier than I'd ever seen him. He was more open than ever. It made me ecstatic. All worries of messing up the moment washed away from my mind.

Just as his lips brushed mine, there was a faint bell ringing. I cursed under my breath. Why was there always something that interrupted my Dimitri time?

He took a step back. "You should probably get to class."

I stepped away from the tree and looked in the direction of the buildings. Just my luck; they were nearby. I carefully began leaving the forest, leaving Dimitri and my feelings for him behind me. Just like I'd have to do once I graduated.

I really wished that I could have a life of my own rather than the one I was brainwashed to have.

…

Life sucks.

I honestly thought that I'd be antagonized enough when Lissa and I returned from our extended vacation a few months before. Everyone came up with stories as to why we had run away in the first place. The one that I seemed to remember best was Lissa being pregnant and leaving to get an abortion. Just the thought of that was absolutely insane.

Blood whore rumors about me even surfaced. I'd nearly lost my mind over that. It was the only rumor that had gotten under my skin. I think I was reaching my breaking point again. I wasn't physically antagonized like I had been with the blood whore rumor, but the variations of the one I heard about my relationship with Dimitri was emotionally antagonizing. I love Dimitri and to hear the vulgar, incorrect statements out of others' mouths strikes me like lightning. I've been so tempted to ask Jesse and Ralf just what the hell they were thinking when they started the rumors, but they've, smartly, stayed away from me and in areas where there were too many witnesses for their possible murders.

The two had gone to new lows though.

Somehow, someway they managed to get a picture of Dimitri and me hugging. If there had been no rumors, more than likely my classmates would think that the mentor-student relationship had become a friendship or something. Since there are rumors, I've heard many things. The impossible, senseless pregnancy rumor died down. The new ones ranged from frolicking in the forest and old guard cabins to planning a getaway. They've gone insane. Irrevocably insane.

So, I sheltered myself in my dorm. Tears could fall freely. It was less likely for someone to hear my sobs. I didn't have to face anyone. I didn't have to feel guilty when seeing one of the Belikovs or my mother walk around the campus. I blocked out Lissa in the bond. I just kept to myself.

I woke up from my slumber to find a note next to my head.

I sighed, watching the paper weightless flutter before sliding off the pillow and onto the mattress. Slowly, I sat up, doing my best—and failing—not to yawn. I was simply exhausted.

I picked up the note, instantly recognizing the handwriting. I smiled to myself.

_Rose,_

_Meet me in the gym when you wake up, whenever that may be. I am a patient person._

_Love,_

_D. _

Short and sweet. I just wished I knew when and how exactly he left the note. I didn't want to keep him waiting for hours just because I've been moping, no matter how patient he said he was. I quickly got out of bed, changed, and head to the gym.

I entered the gym, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. What was so important that I couldn't relax in my bed? Not a whole lot came to my mind that could be.

And then I found myself face first on the floor, arms behind my back. Damn.

A husky whisper sounded in my ear. "What have I told you about checking your surroundings?" The Russian accent was thicker than usual. More tempting than ever.

I turned my head on its side so that my words didn't come out muffled. "I never expected to be attacked."

"Another lesson: Always expect the unexpected."

I groaned. I was about to make a retort when someone else took the words right out of my mouth. "Will you stop sounding like a fortune cookie?"

Dimitri released his hold on me and whatever weight of his I felt on me disappeared. I slowly pushed myself up and rubbed my wrists. They were a shade of pink from the grip he had on them.

"It's nice to see you, Viktoria," he breathed.

I glanced between the two, dumbfounded. I thought his sister was at St. Basil's.

Viktoria smirked. She had been leaning against one of the doors to a store room, examining her nails nonchalantly. "I'd say the same to you, big brother, but I prefer not to see you flirting. It's an awful sight." She glanced over to me. "However you deal with it, Rose, I'll never know."

I pondered her statement for a second, and then laughed. "I've grown accustomed to it. I guess that happens when you're stuck with him for a few hours nearly every day for nearly six months."

"Rough. I'd go insane listening to a personified piece of paper that fell out of a cookie."

I scratched the back of my head, laughing lightly. I wasn't completely sure if she had said what she meant, but I had to forgive her. After all, English was her second language. I'd probably make less sense if I was trying to have a conversation in Russian.

"How about I just leave so that you two can talk about me?" Dimitri suggested.

"Come on, comrade!" I rolled my eyes. "Have a personality for once. You should at least be happy your sister's here…_for reasons unknown_," I added mysteriously. "Speaking of unknown reasons, what was with the note on my pillow?"

"I wanted to introduce you to my sister," he said slowly.

"Mission accomplished," I stated. I wasn't complaining at all. It seemed that I'd get along with his sister easily.

"Hold up," Viktoria stated. Her expression was calculating. "Dimka, you left her a note?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Why?"

"I thought I just—Rose already met Mother, Grandmother, and Paul. She'd eventually—_hopefully_," he said irritably, more than likely thinking about how I'd been hiding in my room to deal with everything, "meet you soon anyway. Why not get it out of the way? It will save her the trauma later."

I could have sworn my eye was twitching. Dimitri made a joke? Odd.

"Oh, you know I'm your favorite sister," Viktoria mused. "You may like Sonya and Karolina, but you have to admit that they get on your nerves from time to time."

"And you don't?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not!" she exclaimed, putting her hand over her heart. She was now standing a few feet away from her brother. "Why I'm the most lovable of us all. You may be the only son, but Paul seems to have taken your place as the favorite male in the family."

Before I could blink, Dimitri had Viktoria in some type of headlock. Playfully of course. It was extremely entertaining to see the both of them laughing about absolutely nothing.

My heart fluttered seeing him so happy.

The two broke up their spar when Alberta came in and asked to have a word with him. He said that he could and excused himself from the gym.

Viktoria let out a yawn. I had a feeling that the time difference was getting to her.

I frowned. "I'd understand if you need to head back to your room. The time is completely different here."

She shook her head, yawning again. "No, no. I need to get used to these Montana times."

"Why?"

"Dimitri didn't tell you?" She looked offended.

"He hasn't told me much of anything since the rest of your family arrived. I've let him spend time with them all instead."

"I'll give him a piece of my mind later then." She smiled half-heartedly. "So, to explain this all…" She trailed off for a moment, thinking. "My mother figured that I needed to spend more time with my brother before the princess graduates. Being the youngest and all, I've rarely spent time with him. Mother really doesn't want me to be deprived of my sibling bonding time."

"What about your sisters then?"

Viktoria shrugged carelessly. "I see them nearly every day. I know them like the back of my hand because of that. I also can't take all of the pregnancy hormones and the baby crying when I'm home for breaks. I think transferring here is worth it though. I'll get to see my brother more often. And I'll get to see why he talks about you all the time in letters and phone calls."

"So is that what Paul was talking about?" At her confused expression, I elaborated, "That your grandmother _saw _us? Dimitri and me, I mean. He talks about me." I was pleased with that fact. "Paul said that you told him that Dimitri and I would end up married or something like that and then he mentioned Yeva _seeing _something."

She blinked. "Paul has quite the imagination. I have no idea why he'd think I'd say that about you two." There was a twinkle in her eye that had me giggling. Her mock-innocence faded then. "I don't know how to explain Yeva's sight. It's complicated. Maybe you should ask her?"

"Doesn't she only speak Russian?" I scratched the back of my neck. My mind flickered to the time in Spokane. But that was all it was: A flicker.

Viktoria was laughing now. "No, of course not. Yeva only pretends to be monolingual. It's kind of her idea of a joke."

"What kind of joke is it?" I scoffed.

"Cruel," she said bluntly. "You should go along with it for at least another day or so to humor her."

"Why not?"

The doors opened and in walked Dimitri. He was wearing his guardian mask.

Curiosity got the best of me. "What did Alberta want?"

"Guardian business," he replied stiffly.

In my peripheral vision, Viktoria made a face while quoting him. I did my best to stifle a laugh. Still, my curiosity was burning, so I continued to press the matter. "What kind of guardian business?"

"If they wanted you to be informed, Guardian Petrov wouldn't have pulled me aside to discuss the matter with me."

I had no chance of getting him to tell me what was going on. So, I did what was logical: I stomped my foot in protest and groaned.

This got a laugh from Viktoria. "He does this to you too?"

"Unfortunately," I grumbled.

"It's not that I don't want—" he began, but was interrupted by his sister.

"It's highly irritating. Not trusting his own sister with news. Not trusting _you _with it." She shook her head in mock-shame. "And to think, I was going to tell him he was my favorite."

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "I think you two are over exaggerating this."

A thought occurred to me. "Does it involve me?"

"Well—"

"Tell me what it is if it does involve me. Or Lissa."

"Rose…" He hesitated.

"It does, doesn't it?" I glanced over to see Viktoria enjoying her brother under pressure and close to losing control. I have to admit that that's how I felt.

"It does." He looked agitated, but still defeated.

"Then what is it?"

"Victor Dashkov's trial."

"I—What?"

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**A/N: **Tada. Probably the chapter that I've had the most difficulty writing. My schedule has been getting the best of me and probably will be for the next week, seeing as how I have midterms this week. :  
Tell me what you think, please. Good? Bad? Gross? What?


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **One of these is necessary for this chapter. Just so everyone knows: I don't own Vampire Academy. And, no matter how much my insane, gutter-residing mind would like to, I do not own Dimitri Belikov, Adrian Ivashkov, and Christian Ozera….Oh, and those other characters…I don't own them either.

* * *

Victor Dashkov's trial? That man wasn't in jail yet? That man wasn't even on trial yet? What the hell was wrong with people? I knew that common sense was dwindling lately, but really? This much?

He'd kidnapped my best friend so that she could be his own personal nurse. To postpone the rescue mission, he, knowing about the bond, planted a lust charm on a necklace that he had given me. I had forgotten what I had seen through the bond but a random voice in my head told me to visit Dimitri. Long story short, we'd almost done the deed, but, of course, he pushed through temptation and figured out that the necklace had the lust charm on it. It took a while, but we eventually found where they had taken Lissa. I'd lived through the torture that they put her through along with her. I honestly think she's traumatized by the whole thing. She'd be insane if she wasn't though.

So why wasn't he convicted yet? What he had done was awful. If I could, I'd probably kill him for the hell he put everyone through.

"Rose?" Dimitri's voice cut into my mental rant.

I crossed my arms, highly irritated. "Why hasn't he been sentenced yet?"

"Legal proceedings sometimes take a long time." He stopped for a moment, but must have sensed my fury and continued on. "But he has been in a cell at Court. Rest assured he hasn't been without punishment."

"Are Lissa and I going to the trial?"

His lips fell into a thin line. "No."

"No?" I frowned. "I think it would make sense if we could go. Christian too. After all, we have some information that the guardians don't."

"I know that, Rose." He sighed. "I don't have any say in it. If I did, I would make sure you three were allowed to go. The headmistress is, for one, hesitant about letting any of you go because of the field experience starting in a few hours. She's afraid that the trial will interfere with it and throw everyone off."

"So?" I threw my hands up in exasperation. "We could continue the 'attacks' at Court. Lissa and I can go. Christian and whoever is assigned to him can go. It's not that difficult to work out."

"You're not even supposed to know about it. So, I don't understand why—"

"I don't understand why I—we—shouldn't know about it! We're victims of it all!"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Rose, if I try to convince them that you all should be allowed to go, will you stop overreacting?"

"I'm not overreacting," I muttered as I looked down at floor.

I didn't hear Dimitri approach, but I soon saw his shadow and heard his steady breathing. He cupped my face in his hands, patiently waiting until I looked up at him.

"You are," he breathed. The scent of his aftershave overwhelmed me. "I will _try _to get you permission to go to the trial in a couple weeks. There are no guarantees, though."

I put my hands on his. I had calmed down, but I wouldn't let this go. I flashed him a smile. "You do realize that you have to follow through, right?"

His hands twitched a little, tapping my cheeks randomly. A smile was playing on his lips. "I've realized that I've made a deal with the devil."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I'm not that bad am I?"

"I'd say that you are." He grinned, amusement twinkling in his eyes.

Before I could reply, he had taken me down and pinned me to the floor. I tried to wiggle free but it was no use. He used his height and weight advantage on my and I really couldn't move more than an inch.

I wasn't going to fuss though. I liked the position I was in. A lot more than I should.

"If you two are done with the romantic show," Viktoria interrupted my staring at her brother, "I'd love to be shown where my dorm is." She said this as she waved a sheet of paper frantically. "I don't know my way around campus at all."

Dimitri rolled off of me and stood up; I, begrudgingly, followed suit.

"Rose, would you mind showing her around?" he asked. "That was another reason I asked you to be here."

"Not that I won't, but why couldn't you do it?" I tugged on the bottom of my shirt, straightening it after it had been disheveled by both of his attacks.

"I figured you two should bond a little. Is that a crime?"

Viktoria rolled her eyes. "You can be the most confusing and annoying person on the face of this planet!"

"I couldn't agree more." I laughed.

When she joined in on the laughter, Dimitri ran a hand through his hair, which just fell in his eyes. "I never said that it was a wise decision."

Ignoring that, I snatched the paper out of Viktoria's hand and read her room assignment. "Sweet! Hello, roomie!"

"No way!" She let out a Lissa-like squeal.

I glanced over to her brother. Suddenly, I felt very mischievous. "Now I'll get all the dirt I need on him." I jabbed my thumb in Dimitri's direction. "I'll have plenty of new material just by tonight."

"Trust me; there's a lot." She grinned in the impish Belikov way. I couldn't help but laugh again.

"Definitely not my wisest decision," Dimitri muttered as he picked up her bags.

Really? How could I have missed the mountain of bags when I came into the gym? I was losing my touch.

…

"…So, after we untied him, he tried to run off. Unfortunately for him, the dress that we had forced him to wear got in his way and he tripped. It was quite the sight to see. Dimitri is known to one of the more graceful people in the family and to see him lose every ounce of grace was enjoyable," Viktoria mused.

By the time I had to leave for the gym, she had told me numerous stories that she had from what little time she spent with her brother when they were younger.

The amusement I got from the stories aside, I was envious. I didn't have a brother or sister while growing up. I never really cared until I saw how happy they seemed to be. Yeah, I grew up with the kids at the academy, but it didn't seem to be the same.

I did my best to hide my jealousy, though, and smiled. "I have enough material to bother him until graduation. Fantastic."

Yes, it was childish of me to blackmail him for what he did when he was younger, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. After all, he knew enough about my past. Why shouldn't I know his?

Viktoria and I parted ways when I had to go in the gym for the assembly. She was a year younger, a junior novice, than me and wouldn't take part in the field experience until the next school year.

I plopped down next to Eddie on the bleachers. Anxiety was radiating off him. I already knew my assignment and was anxious for a completely different reason. I got to spend the next six weeks with my best friend. I didn't have to worry.

I cancelled out the introduction of the assembly. I already knew that the guardians would randomly attack us as 'Strigoi' and we'd have to fight until one of us was killed. All while keeping our Moroi unharmed at best. I felt sympathy for Dean Barnes seeing as how he was assigned to Jesse Zeklos.

Beside me, Eddie was crossing his fingers, hoping to get someone he got along with.

We just didn't expect the bombshell as to who it was.

"Edison Castile," Alberta announced. "Vasilisa Dragomir."

I repeat myself. _What is wrong with people?_

Eddie reluctantly got up and sauntered across the gym floor to get his packet and practice stake from Guardian Chase. He was just as confused as I was.

At least it's someone I trust guarding her. I'd probably cause a riot if it wasn't.

Or maybe I would cause a riot, considering the assignment I received.

"Rosemarie Hathaway. Christian Ozera."

I sat there for a moment, staring blankly at the head of guardians. I sighed heavily before getting up and going to collect the pack and practice stake like everyone else had.

It took all I had not to march up to Alberta as soon as I looked over the details in the packet and complain about it. I stayed on the sidelines instead and waited until she was done. When everyone was being dismissed, I started marching up to her.

I just didn't make it that far. I felt a hand on my arm and my feet unwillingly sliding across the gym floor and out of the gym itself. I didn't have to look at who was dragging me away from the crowd to know who it was. And I didn't look at him until he pulled me into a vacant classroom.

"Sit," he ordered.

I sat down at one of the desks, drumming my fingers on the packet. I didn't do anything wrong that I was aware.

Dimitri turned one desk around and sat down in it, facing me. I then noticed that he wasn't in a professional mode at all, like I had expected him to be. Instead, he was calculating something.

I decided to break the silence. "So, Captain Fuchsia, why'd you drag me here?"

He glared at the new nickname. "How did you—I'll have a word with my sister later."

"Don't avoid the question."

"Oh, right." He shifted in his seat. For once, he looked uncomfortable. After all, he was practically a giant and his legs were stretched out to where mine were. He sighed. "I knew you'd be unhappy about your assignment."

I nodded. "Yes, I am. Furious, now that I know you knew ahead of time."

"I didn't find out until minutes before the assembly, Rose." He clasped his hands together, resting them on the desk. "Even if I knew weeks before, I wouldn't have been able to tell you."

I groaned, leaning against the back of the chair. "This really sucks."

He frowned. "Why's that? You'll be spending most of your time with Lissa anyway. Don't complain."

He had a point. For the most part. I just didn't want to spend all that extra time with Christian. We didn't get along that well. But I'm sure I'd be able to manage. There probably wouldn't be much difference

Dimitri seemed to be content with the lapse of silence because he smiled. "See? You have no reason to be upset with your assignment."

"No. I still don't like it though." I could be worse off. I could be guarding Jesse.

"Deal with it."

…

It was hard to believe that just hours before I was in one of the best moods of my life. Now, I was in one of the worst.

I was heading toward the cafeteria to meet up with Christian. But, of course, I never had more than a moment to think by myself.

"Little dhampir," Adrian mused as he fell into step with me. "Your aura's depressing. What has upset you today?"

I stalled from answering by tying my hair back. I didn't know how to explain everything to Adrian. Therefore, I mumbled, "Field experience."

"Oh?" He smiled. "I figured you'd be happy about that. After all, you were assigned to Vasilisa…Right?" I shook my head and his face fell. "Then who?"

"Christian."

I should have figured that his expression wouldn't be upset about it for long. He burst out into laughter. "Ozera?" He wiped away tears of mirth. "What were they thinking?"

"That's what I thought!" I waved my hands spastically, nearly dropping the packet out of my hand. "I think everyone is losing their minds!"

Adrian put his arm around my shoulders, slowing down our pace. "If it will make you feel any better, I'll visit your dreams for the next six weeks."

I feigned gagging. "If you do, you'll find yourself in the infirmary with no idea as to how you wound up in there."

He chuckled. "You wouldn't do that."

"You'd be surprised."

Confidence was dripping off of him by this point. "I doubt it. You'd be having withdrawals from not seeing my face."

I rolled my eyes and playfully shoved him away. He surprisingly lightened my mood. "I would not. Though, I think you'd be having withdrawals from not being able to look in the mirror and admiring yourself." He seethed in mock-pain as he threw his hand over his heart. I flashed him my best smile. "I didn't get my reputation for nothing, Ivashkov."

He composed himself, now smiling. "I'm very well aware of that."

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**A/N: **No random commentary today. I've procrastinated long enough on finishing up an English assignment. So, review, review, review!

Actually, wait. If you didn't notice, I pulled some lines out of Shadow Kiss, either directly or I tweaked them a little bit. I couldn't help myself. :)


	11. Chapter 11

"Let me get this straight." Christian ran a hand through his black hair and his icy blue eyes narrowed. "You're guarding me for the next six weeks?"

"I am."

"Not Lissa?"

"Unfortunately."

He exhaled. "It's going to be a long six weeks."

"That's how I feel."

There was silence until we sat down at the table. Eddie was sitting next to Lissa, prematurely alert and watching for 'attacks'. Adrian was nowhere to be seen. I didn't know if that delighted me or upset me.

"Where's Ivashkov?" Christian asked before biting an apple.

"He said that he had to make an important call. I think the queen or at least his father or something. He should be back soon," Lissa replied. "Why?"

"I don't have a headache," he said coolly.

I couldn't help but laugh.

Lissa frowned. "He's not that bad."

"No," he said, indifferent. "He just doesn't know when to shut up."

After catching my breath, I agreed. "Lissa's right."

Tons of questions crossed her mind almost immediately. She settled with the one I'm sure the others wanted to know. "Since when do you defend Adrian?"

I was glad the bond only worked one way at that moment. The day by the tree trunk lingered in my thoughts longer than I'd expected, especially the kiss. That stupid, quick, fantastic kiss. The warm feeling in my stomach. It wasn't as great as Dimitri and I shared, but it was better than all the rest I'd had. That fact surprised me briefly, then and now. It also made me smile.

"Earth to Rose?"

I scowled. "What?"

"I asked when you and Adrian became friends."

"Actually, I remember it worded a little differently." I thought about the kiss again, but also one of the dreams. "Some time last week."

"How?"

"He decided to join me on a walk around campus. He let me vent about the rumors and all that." I glanced at the doors of the cafeteria as they opened and Viktoria entered. I quickly waved to her before turning my attention back to Lissa, who, by now, was sitting on the edge of her seat. She really wanted Adrian and I to be together, for who knows what reason. "I guess I just realized that he's better than I give him credit for."

"Who's better than you give them credit for?" Viktoria asked as she gracefully fell into the chair next to me and began examining her nails. "If you're talking about my brother, I highly doubt it. What you see is all a charade."

I snorted with laughter. "I don't think so."

She grinned. "So, did you use any of the stories against him yet?"

"Not with full force," I replied while shaking my head. "I did call him Captain Fuchsia, but he was trying to reason with me over the whole field experience thing."

Viktoria giggled and went to say something; Christian just beat her to it. "I don't mean to me rude or anything, but who the hell are you?"

She still kept a smile on her face, much like her brother could. "Viktoria Belikova—Belikov here in the States I suppose."

"This place is _swarming _with Belikovs then," Adrian joined in, sitting in the other empty seat next to me.

"What is with the two of you being rude?" Lissa glared at both Christian and Adrian.

"It's in their nature," Eddie muttered, still scanning the cafeteria carefully.

"And he speaks!" I exaggerated by waving my hands a little. "Really, Castile, the field experience doesn't officially start until _after _lunch."

He eyed me as he gulped down some water. "You never know."

"On the first day?"

He simply shrugged. "Guardians can be insane."

"I told you that earlier, Rose!" Viktoria exclaimed. "Insanity is expressed in different ways. I swear Dimka cannot be sane with how collected he is. Something has to make him lose that control."

She glanced at me the same time Adrian did. They both knew and neither wanted to hear about any of what went on in depth. Viktoria didn't because, obviously, Dimitri was her brother. Adrian didn't because he had some type of crush on me. Sitting between them really made me uncomfortable suddenly. I don't know how Christian, Lissa, and Eddie didn't sense the all-knowing awkward tension.

"I don't think Guardian Belikov is insane," Lissa pointed out, but used a teasing tone. "Maybe it's your sibling bias? I, for one, felt that way—"

It was a reference to her late brother, Andre. It had been a few years sense the accident now, but it always haunted her. Even if we didn't have the bond—and I had miraculously lived without the help of spirit—it'd haunt me too. The bond and her thoughts seeping into my own aside, it did haunt me.

At the moment, her mind was racing with images from the accident. Ones that I hadn't seen from actually dying like her family. She was overwhelmed with grief and fear that it might happen again. She was shaking and tears brimmed her eyes.

"Lissa…" Christian squeezed her hand. They didn't have a bond like we did, but he didn't have to read her mind or feel her emotions to know what she was thinking and feeling. Not that I had to either.

I frowned. "It won't happen again. I'll make sure of it." She looked down and closed her eyes. She was still picturing her family's lifeless bodies. My lifeless body and then her healing me unknowingly. I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Liss, I know it's still hard, but there's nothing we can do."

Something had to have been wrong with me because Viktoria hurriedly pulled me into a hug. She, like the rest of her family, already considered me like family, despite not knowing me very long. At all. She mumbled something in Russian; I only picked out the word for sister. I only knew that after hearing it excessively from Dimitri. It was bizarre. I never felt the need to cry in front of others, yet something about the Belikovs just made me feel that it was okay to. When I heard a sob, I acknowledged it as my own. I didn't know why I was sobbing. I wasn't the one who lost my family. I still had a mother—and a complicated relationship with her. I still had a father somewhere in this world, possibly.

"Viktoria," Dimitri's voice sounded behind me, "what happened?"

She replied in Russian at a fast pace, one that I don't think I could even speak English in. And then that's when I wasn't being held by her anymore. Instead, I was somehow walking out of the cafeteria with an arm draped over me and hearing soothing Russian murmurs.

After a few minutes of walking, I was pulled into another hug. This time the scent of Dimitri's aftershave got to me. I let out a sigh.

I tilted my head up to look at him. His guard was down. I wasn't his student at the moment. I was his friend. I was his lover.

"Roza?" He definitely had his guard down. "What happened?"

He'd already heard it from Viktoria, but I knew he wanted to know exactly what happened in the bond, not just an uninformed witness's account. "Well…It started out with Viktoria and I making up some jokes about you. Lissa got caught up in the moment and brought up…Andre." I shifted myself in his grasp. "She never finished reminiscing. She just kept thinking of what she saw at the scene of the car accidents. The _bodies_." I couldn't bring myself to say 'corpses'. All of that. I think her emotions took control over me and I couldn't help but just break down."

Dimitri tightened his hold on me briefly before stepping back and looking me in the eyes. He kept his hands firmly on my shoulders. "I wish I knew how to help, but you know that there is lack of knowledge about bonds like you two have." He grunted. "But it may not be just Lissa's emotions getting the better of you."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You bottle up your emotions." He let out a sigh, looking around at our surroundings before locking his eyes with mine again. "It wouldn't surprise me if you're finally grieving over what happened in the accident."

"But—"

"There's nothing wrong with that, Rose." His eyebrows twitched while he thought over what to say next. "It's better that you grieve. It may not seem that way since you want to appear strong in front of everyone, but it's not healthy to not express yourself. A good cry is what we all need once in a while."

"So you…" I couldn't imagine him crying. He was invincible.

"I said once in a while," he said, his mouth turning up at the corners. He was trying to make me feel better. That much was obvious. Either I was rubbing off on him or he was trying his best to make a joke with his next words… "I know it comes as a shock to you and everyone else, but yes, even I, Dimitri Belikov, cry."

And it worked. I smiled at him, even laughed a little. It was truly awful, but it was nice to know that he cared. It was wondrous how easily he was able to get me to stop worrying and calm down.

I heard the bell ring, much like the last time we had been alone, and I practically dread what would happen for the next six weeks. I didn't want to leave the amazing man in front of me. Ever.

However, Dimitri straightened up and dropped his arms from off my shoulders. He smiled. "It may not mean much right now with all that has happened, but I'd like to wish you luck with the field experience."

I nodded. "Thanks, comrade."

"I'm not Captain Fuchsia now?"

"Do you want to be?" I grinned mischievously. "I have no problem calling you that. I'll have plenty of other nicknames for you by the end of the week, even when I won't be staying in my room for the next month and a half."

He scoffed. "Don't remind me."

"Don't jinx it. I'll plenty of material and plenty of nicknames for weeks, even months, to come now that your sister's here." I flashed him a smile, allowing him to know that he'd done his job. Then, I just laughed as I, unwillingly, started to head toward the ever impatient Christian Ozera, who was tapping his watch repeatedly. "Keep your panties in a bunch, Sparky! I'm coming."

Christian grimaced. "Don't call me that."

I came to a halt and bowed. "As you wish, Lord Ozera."

He rolled his eyes at his formal title. Normally, he'd be glad to be acknowledged as Lissa's equal, as a royal, but he was frustrated at the time. "We're running behind."

"The bell just rang! How are we running behind?"

He ignored the question and walked as quickly as he could down the hallways. To me, it wasn't all to fast, so I kept his pace easily. I wasn't about to be one of the professional guardians and follow my Moroi around like a haunting ghost.

Ghost.

Just when I thought my troubles of the day had been solved, I remembered the translucent figure of Mason a few days before. His sad expression was imprinted in my brain; it wouldn't leave. The sad expression falling into pain was even worse. He had seen Dimitri and I exchanging words and gestures like a couple would, not as a mentor and his student. I'd never wanted him to witness that.

"Hey, Rose," Christian was right in front of me, standing still. Not being exactly graceful and having enough time to react, I ran into him. He scoffed. "I know you're not too thrilled with this assignment, but could you at least pay attention? I'd prefer not to have to miss any class just because you aren't watching where you're going."

"I—" I guess he had a point. I was so caught up with my worries that I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking. "Sorry. I'm still trying to think straight."

His eyes narrowed. "Whatever. Let's just get to class."

The rest of the day went by surprisingly fast after that. I still pondered my encounter with Translucent Mason. I occasionally checked up on how Lissa was coping. I gladly can report that she was better, but probably still a little shaky over thinking about the accident. Christian wasn't as bad as I made him out to be, but he was still a major pain in the ass. The 'attacks' had already begun and I was waiting anxiously waiting for my first test of the field experience.

Either the next six weeks would breeze by or they'd be like watching a snail trying to cross a highway…

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**A/N: **I surprised myself with how quickly I wrote this one, what with having to study for midterms and a final…or at least what I should be doing. I think I'm going through one of my odd obsession stages and my schoolwork is suffering from it. Eh, oh well.  
Enough of my problems. What do you think? Any suggestions? Feel free to tell me whatever's on your mind. After all, reviews are like a drug…at least to me…


	12. Chapter 12

I found myself flat on my back in the middle of campus.

"Hate to say it, but you're 'dead', Ozera," Stan broadcasted to anyone within hearing distance that would listen. Not upset at all. In fact, I'm pretty sure that he was glad to give me a mad mark in the field experience.

I groaned and climbed to my feet. "That was pure luck, Guardian Alto. It won't happen next time."

Stan sneered as he was writing something on a notepad. "We'll see about that, Hathaway." He closed the notepad, eyeing me pointedly. "I'm surprised. There is nothing but great marks from your training with Guardian Belikov. I expected more from you."

"I'm having an off day."

"More like a day off," he muttered as he walked away.

I truly hated him. The next time I faced him in an 'attack,' I'd do my best to take him down.

"Bad mark on your first test?"

I turned around, startled, ready to attack. I calmed down visibly when I saw that it was Dimitri. "Yeah, unfortunately."

His mouth twitched. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I just froze in the middle of it all."

Actually, I did know what happened. Mason had decided to appear at that time and I became distracted. Before I could react, Stan flipped me and I was lying on the ground. He had gotten to Christian before I could move.

"…should have been paying more attention. Had this been away from the school, Lord Ozera would have been dead at your expense," Dimitri droned on. This would be one of the rare times I found him unattractive. The chastising was extremely annoying. "You've never frozen before. And—something's wrong. Rose, you know you can tell me anything."

Okay, I take back not finding him attractive in that moment. He hid his concern well with the crowd around us. I just saw how soft the look in his eyes was. I just couldn't tell him what actually happened, especially with people around. "It may not happen often, but it does. Even I, Rosemarie Hathaway, crack under pressure." I smiled mocking at him. "I'll try better next time."

He nodded, looking around at those who had stayed behind. Probably to see if the rumors were true. "Shouldn't you all be in class?"

"Shouldn't Ozera and Hathaway be in class too?" Jesse Zeklos's voice carried. He had been the only one to stay behind. Naturally, Dean Barnes hovered in the distance. Jesse smirked. "Unless you're showing favoritism, which we all know why that'd be."

Dimitri went into all out guardian mode then. "Lord Zeklos, I assure you that there is no show of favoritism." I'd never heard him use such a cold tone. "What did I warn you about last time?"

"If you ever caught me in a compromising situation with Rose, you'd be handing out the punishment." The smirk grew bigger as his eyes focused on me briefly. "I'm not into the same punishment you might give her."

My jaw dropped. Dimitri's jaw locked and his eyes narrowed. "Do _not _speak to me that way."

"Don't speak to—"

"You lost any chance at being shown respect when you suggested that Miss Hathaway and I are any more than student and teacher." The glint in his eye was dangerous. Frightening even.

"But—"

"Mister Zeklos, either go to class or I will kindly show you to the headmistress's office."

"But—"

"_Go_."

My eyes widened as Jesse scurried off. I had never seen Dimitri so worked up over a student, not even me when I first met him. I didn't know if it was for the tone Jesse had been using or the accusations thrown at the both of us.

Christian whistled in amazement. "Now I see why the novices are afraid to fight you in the field experience, Guardian Belikov."

Dimitri's face softened into a peaceful smile. "It's only my job. I'm not that intimidating."

"Stop being modest." I laughed. "You've never been that angry with me. Not when you captured Lissa and me. Not that last practice before the ski lodge when—" I caught my self. There's no way I'd let that slip.

"I wasn't too angry about that."

I couldn't help but let out a gasp. When that practice occurred, he'd been furious that I pushed his self-control over the edge. He later told me that no one had ever been able to understand him so well. Maybe it was just the small fear of being found out like he had told me after the Spokane incident and my _molnija _ceremony...

"I'd love to get to class, you know," Christian complained.

"Oh, right," I muttered, getting away from my daze. "We'd best get going."

Dimitri had pulled a notepad out of a pocket of the duster and began writing something. I didn't even bother trying to peek at what it was. So, I just asked, tapping my right index paper where he was writing. "What's that?"

"A note," he replied, his eyes never leaving the paper. "To excuse the both of you for being tardy." He carefully tore the paper out of the notepad and extended it.

"Thank you, Guardian Belikov," Christian said as I was just about to take the note from Dimitri's hands and took it in his own.

"Rude much?" I scoffed.

"Hey, it's my class that we're going to," he snapped before strutting off.

I rolled my eyes and began walking after him. Dimitri was walking beside me then. Christian's next class wasn't too far away. I sighed. There wouldn't be much time to say anything. "Sorry about the whole Jesse fiasco."

"It's not your fault. Don't apologize."

"Well someone has to apologize. We all know that he won't."

He chuckled, much to my surprise; normally, I'd be chastised for a remark like that. "Again, it's not your fault."

I smiled. His being out of character lightened my mood.

"Rose, _come on_!" Christian shouted from right outside a classroom door.

"Lovely," I muttered. "I'll see you later, comrade."

…

"Come on, Rose!" Lissa shouted, yanking the blanket off me. "Get up!"

It was two weeks into the field experience and I was no less irritated than I had been the first day. I'd been sleeping on the floor of Christian's dorm. He, at the very least, let me use one of the pillows from the mountain of them on his bed once I'd realized that I'd forgotten to pack one.

It was a Sunday. My one day off in the week. I wanted to sleep in.

I grumbled and turned over. "Why do I have to get up? I'm not going to church today!"

"We're going to Court!"

I turned back over and opened my eyes to see Lissa beaming. I groaned. "Why are we going to Court?"

"The trial." She trotted over to somewhere else in the room.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes at the vague light coming through the tinted window. "It's still night. When are we leaving?" The words eventually processed and I felt as excited as a kid in a candy shop. Dimitri came through after all.

"In an hour or so," Christian replied as he stuffed something in a bag.

"I already packed you a bag so that you could sleep in," Lissa chimed.

"Ah, thanks," I muttered.

She gasped, causing Christian and I to freeze until she smiled. "Guardian Belikov wants to see you by the way."

"Really?" For being in some type of forbidden relationship, I didn't hide the excitement in my voice all too well.

"Yes. He said to meet him in the gym."

Being inconspicuous never crossed my mind. I grabbed the bag that Lissa had packed for me and quickly head toward the gym. I mumbled a greeting to Eddie, who was groggily and unnecessarily surveying his surroundings outside the door.

When I got to the gym, Dimitri was meditating in the middle of the floor. I silently set down my bag and then crept to his side, imitating his position. The only acknowledgement of my presence he gave was a small smile once briefly looking out of one eye.

Damn. My ninja skills suck.

We sat like that for several minutes. Despite I was sitting there in some bizarre yoga position to mock him, it was peaceful.

At least until the silence got to me. I quickly sat like a normal person. "Why'd you want to see me?"

Dimitri exhaled. "I don't want you jumping to any conclusions."

"What do you mean?"

"I promised you that I would try to get you to Court for the trial." He slowly opened his eyes. "I did try everything that I could, but my influence outside of the academy doesn't seem to be great enough to have much say when it comes to any legal procedures."

"Then how are we going to Court?"

His eyes slightly narrowed. Otherwise, he kept control. "Ivashkov used his family ties."

"Did he?" I grinned. Yeah, I was disappointed that it hadn't been Dimitri to get us there, but at least Adrian was useful for something.

"He did." Dimitri almost immediately began meditating again. Or pretending to meditate would be better of me to say.

I chuckled. "So, how long will we even be at Court?"

He sighed in defeat and shifted to a position similar to mine. "Three days. The trial is tomorrow."

I scoffed. "I can't get away for any longer than that?"

"You can't." He eyed me warily. "If this has to do with the rumors—"

"Of course it doesn't," I interrupted him and lied.

"Rose."

"_Yes_?"

"You don't think that after six months of training with you that I don't know better when you're lying?" One eyebrow rose coolly. "Not only that, but you're a terrible liar. I doubt that even Paul would let any of your lies go."

"Damn," I cursed.

"I'm not going to press the matter, but, if you ever want to talk about it, you know that you can talk to me."

"I know." The two simple words left my mouth before I could even process anything. The autopilot mode I was in just stayed. I may have rambled about all that was bothering me at the time, but it felt like a weight off my shoulders once I told someone. "I just don't understand how it all started in the first place and how it's even allowed. I mean, you're part of the academy staff and you were dragged into some stupid high school drama. Ironically, my mother has been here through it all. Your family is visiting and I feel like I have to impress them, even when they already consider me as family. I still don't know what that sight stuff is that you all talk about. Christian is a pain in the ass. Lissa can't stop thinking about the accident. So, in short, I am stressing over so many things that would hardly mean anything most of the time, but, of course, my life is _never_ easy. It's like everyone plots to see how to push my sanity to its limits. Something has to happen that makes me want to—"

"Roza, stop."

I felt like he murmured my name in Russian because he knew that it always calmed me down, despite a voice in my head shouting that it wasn't. I glared at him and snapped, "Don't even start with the 'Roza' stuff. It's not working today."

His face fell. "Rose, I'm trying to help. I'm worried about you."

And just like that, I regret snapping at him. I sharply inhaled, wishing it'd help the tears developing in my eyes. It didn't. "Sorry. It's just that ever since returning to the academy, life is ten times worse than it was before. I don't get a break from being the center of gossip. It's difficult to block out Lissa's mind. And I can't get a break from Christian in the field experience. I can't control any of it."

Dimitri pulled me into his side and I welcomed the gesture by burying my face in his chest and crying. Everything about this was innocent. He was being a friend and lending a shoulder to cry on. He didn't ridicule me. For once. He just sat there, holding me.

I just hated being vulnerable, especially in front of Dimitri. I let simple high school trouble get the best of me.

"I'll be an awful guardian." The words came out muffled, but I figured he knew I'd be beating myself up before too long.

"No, you won't," he said sternly. "You'll be one of the best."

I pulled my head back at little so that my voice didn't muffle this time. "How? I can't even handle all the high school drama I'm going through now. There's no possible way I can defend anyone from Strigoi. Mason died because of me; I couldn't save him."

_Mason_.

How did I not let that slip in my little rant? I'd been stressing over that just as much as everything else. But I didn't understand why I was even seeing him. Hallucinating. Was I going insane? None of it made sense compared to my other troubles.

"…wish you'd stop thinking that you can't do anything." Dimitri had been rubbing my shoulder slowly to try and calm me down. "For one thing, your mother is here simply because her Moroi is visiting; they'll be leaving a couple days after the trial. My family, other than Viktoria, is only here for a few more days too. They already love you simply because I do. Don't worry about them not liking you." He sounded so reasonable. "The rest of it…it _is _out of your control."

Gee, thanks, Dimitri.

The gym doors opened then. Lissa's voice carried across the room. "The plane is leaving in ten minutes."

Oh joy.

Just an hour ago, I was in a great mood and ecstatic that I'd be going to the trial and see Victor Dashkov receive his sentence. Now, I dreaded going to Court. The queen and I had a mutual dislike for each other. And the possibility of Victor bringing up the lust charm at the trial lingered in my mind.

--------

**A/N: **So, I apologize that the wait is longer than usual, but, yes, I've been busy this last week. I had midterms. I didn't do too well on my AP English and my AP US History tests. Though, the essays hadn't been graded and those are worth more than half of the midterm grades. I still have a fighting chance at least. (I, for once, am confident about them) I probably didn't do too hot on my Chemistry/Physics final. I've been speaking Spanglish thanks to my Spanish midterm; it took a great deal of control to not let any Spanish slip into this chapter. My graphic arts "midterm"…probably the only thing I even got an A on. Yeah, not a great year for me as far as school goes. The past two days, I've been dragged out of the house by my parents to do Christmas shopping and spend quality time with them. Not that I'm complaining. I usually get along with my parents. So, my brain is fried, so to speak, as far as creativity goes.  
Also, is it just me, or are email alerts messed up? I haven't been alerted when new chapters have been added. Odd?  
And my excuses are over. Feel free to criticize this chapter. I realize it's jumpy and out of character. :/


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **Considering that I'll be taking direct statements from _Shadow Kiss_ I believe this is necessary for this chapter. I do not own the characters. I do not own part of the content of this chapter. Richelle Mead does. What is in the book is italicized in this chapter.

* * *

…_It looked like we were going to have to rely on each other to get through this. A heartbeat later, Victor was walking again, off to take his seat on the left side of the room._

"_Thanks," I said to her, once he was gone. "It's like you can read my mind."_

"_No," she said gently. "I could just feel your hand."_

_I looked down at where I'd put my hand over hers. I'd done it to comfort her and had ended up clenching her fingers in my own agitation. "Yikes," I said, jerking away and hoping I hadn't broken her bones. "Sorry."_

_Queen Tatiana's entrance followed his, which distracted me and helped calm my dark feelings. We all stood when she appeared and then knelt…_

I was still a little accustomed to the ways humans lived. A jury was nonexistent in royal court hearings. Ultimately, Queen Bitch decided. And, at the moment, I wasn't sure how I felt about that considering she wasn't in favor of sentencing a formerly powerful royal.

Every guardian's testimony sounded the same. It was like a broken record until Alberta's, but hers wasn't too different. She just mentioned witnessing how the whole situation tortured me right along with Lissa through the bond.

When it was Dimitri's turn, I could help but take a deep breath and flicker my gaze briefly to an unconcerned Victor Dashkov. I wasn't sure if we'd make it through the trial or not without Victor bringing up the lust charm.

"_Based on the events, it sounds like there was a delay between when she discovered that and when you alerted the others," _Victor's lawyer said as they glanced down at some papers.

"_She couldn't act on it because Mr. Dashkov had inflicted a charm on her, one that caused her to attack me." _His voice was level; no one could tell that he wasn't telling the entire story. He wasn't lying, but it was bothering—no _killing_—him to be under oath and not be entirely truthful. _"Mr. Dashkov works with earth magic, and some who use that power and are strong in compulsion can influence our base instinct," continued Dimitri. "In this case, he affected her anger and violence through an object."_

How he stayed so calm, especially with Victor temporarily interrupting his testimony, is something I didn't quite understand, but I couldn't worry about it. At least not now.

With Christian being knocked out right before Lissa was kidnapped, he couldn't provide much of a testimony. He just identified the select guardians that he saw.

And so, it was my turn.

_I walked up, hoping I looked calm in front of all those eyes—and in front of Victor. _I refused to look at him in fear that I may give something away. I stated my name and gave my oath to tell the truth. I suddenly felt nauseous. I don't know how I was going to lie in front of everyone.

I mentioned details dating back to the shopping trip where Lissa and I had first admired the necklace in the first place, how we all thought it was a gift for my first test as a guardian. I had to slip in that Lissa viewed Victor like an uncle to her; he was close to her father after all. I surprised myself with not faltering when bringing up the actual charm and saying that I had attacked Dimitri—which, technically, I had—and not bringing up how we were so close to sleeping together. After that, my story lined up with Dimitri's and Alberta's perfectly.

After what felt like an eternity, I dragged myself back to my seat.

Lissa was next. The charisma she received through spirit drew everyone into her perspective, the only new one to be brought up. Those in attendance felt sympathy toward her and were appalled by hearing how she went through the torture first hand. Unlike I had believed, she didn't panic when remembering what happened. She stayed calm the entire time.

At last, it was Victor's turn. He stayed unconcerned about possibly facing life in prison. It was as if he felt like it was a gathering of old friends, rather than a trial.

And that just pissed me off.

His testimony suggested that he had no other choice than to use Lissa as his own personal nurse, that it was completely his daughter's, Natalie's, decision to turn Strigoi.

When asked about Dimitri and I having any say in what he had us do, he just laughed it off. "_Well, that's a matter of opinion. I honestly don't think they minded. But if you have time after this case, Your Honor, you might want to consider trying a statutory rape case."_

Gasps rang in my ears, including my own. I nearly uttered "I plead the fifth," but that'd only get me into further trouble than I already was as far as my relationship with Dimitri was concerned.

Lissa was disgusted that Victor would stoop so low. She was also curious. She kept wondering how Victor would conclude some type of affair when there was a rumor going around St. Vladimir's.

I wasn't necessarily worried about Lissa's thoughts at the moment and blocked her out of my mind for the time being. Despite being in the middle of the trial, my thoughts drifted off. The rumors back at school. I scanned the room slowly, my gaze staying on Priscilla Voda for quite a few seconds.

Had she heard Victor mention something about Dimitri and me? Had she told her nephew—or whatever he was—Ralf, about what she'd heard? Had Ralf misinterpreted?

It made sense, for the most part.

I scoffed. Royals could be such idiots.

…

The pressure of the trial may have been over, but the chatter from it, by far, was not. At least for Lissa it wasn't. She was quick to trick me into her room and help her pick out an outfit for dinner with the queen, where, this time, she'd be bringing Christian along with her as her guest. He may have been royalty, but his family was tainted as far as the queen was concerned.

I sat on the edge of her bed, legs folded. The black jacket to the typical guardian ensemble was thrown onto the back of a chair by the window. I had a feeling this would be a typical routine once I was officially Lissa's guardian.

Lissa had been scurrying about the room, trying to decide what exactly she should wear. Normally, she narrowed down her options to two. But this wasn't a normal day for her. She highly considered setting aside three other dresses, but thought better of it. She asked me to get up and get a better look at them.

I reluctantly did as I was asked. I would have preferred to have been sitting down and caring less what she wore. It wasn't worth the stress to impress Queen Bitch.

She had picked out an icy blue dress that had a small tutu shape for the skirt of it. The other was a simple lavender, knee-length dress. I bit my lip, wanting to tell her to go with the icy blue one, but she was worrying if the dress's skirt would insult the queen. _I _would have worn the dress simply for that reason, but this is Lissa we're talking about. She didn't have much against Queen Tatiana.

I sighed. "Wear the purple one."

She grinned, rushing the blue one back into her closet.

As she took the lavender dress of its hanger, she kept glancing up at me. Even when blocking out her thoughts to give her some privacy, I knew that she was thriving to ask me something.

"Go ahead and ask," I muttered.

She shifted uncomfortably and set the dress back aside. "Well, I was just curious about what Victor said at the trial. About you and Guardian Belikov. Why would he suggest a statutory rape case?"

How could I tell her that it wasn't so much a lie as everyone believed? I hadn't told her anything about my relationship with Dimitri and she had been my best friend for years. Practically our whole lives. If I told her now, she'd probably be furious with me.

That was a risk that I was going to have to take.

I took a deep breath and spilled everything to her. The burning and electricity that shot through me ever since the shopping trip. The night of the lust charm in full detail. What he told me after Natalie attacked me and he killed her. The self-control dilemma. Why he denied Tasha's offer. Our encounters since Spokane. His family. All of it.

And all she did was just stand there, gaping at me like I'd grown a third eye or something. Her mouth had fallen open somewhere in the middle of my tale.

I just sat there and waited.

It took a little while, but she finally composed herself and she sat down beside me. It was obvious that she was still processing everything, but some emotion I couldn't identify took over her face.

She exhaled. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

I expected for her to ask that. "Because it's absolutely forbidden. I was afraid that it'd leak out and who knows what would have happened after that. He could have been fired, charged with statutory rape, pedophilia…"

"You two stopped before anything too serious happened though. It'd be ruled out."

I shrugged. "Probably, but it still could have happened. It's definitely not that I don't trust you, Liss. We also kept it a secret and we've been trying to fight against our feelings so that you stay safe. If we had a relationship, it'd be a huge distraction, especially if we are both your guardians."

Guilt seemed to be permanently etched into her face. "Rose, I'm sorry that—"

"Don't be."

Lissa frowned. "You know, it's a lot to take in. I don't know _exactly _how I feel about it."

I knew she was referring more to me not telling her about Dimitri and my relationship beforehand, rather than the relationship itself. I just nodded. "Of course. I'd probably want time to think it over if you were in a completely forbidden relationship too."

She smiled at that at least. "Thanks."

I left after that. I was allowing her to have to some time to think about it, continuing to block her out of my mind.

I needed to find Dimitri and tell him that Lissa knew everything.

Instead, I came across Adrian while wandering throughout Court grounds.

He was having a discussion with Mia, who was now living at Court with her father, about something. The two noticed a third party and greeted me with warm smiles. Adrian exaggerated by pulling me into a bear hug, shouting "little dhampir." It wasn't exactly uncomfortable.

When he released me, I smiled at the both of them. "Whatcha talking about?"

Mia glanced over at Adrian, who just smiled lazily and answered, "I was telling her about what happened on the plane."

My face fell. "Why?"

"I overheard Eddie and Christian talking about it when you all arrived yesterday. I never got the chance to ask you what it was about," Mia chimed in.

"It's not of much importance. I was only experience a migraine."

Adrian muttered something randomly about dinner with the queen and trotted off. Odd, I'd have to ask him what was up the next time I saw him.

Speaking of having to do something, I saw Dimitri's tall, built form a little way in the distance. I glanced at Mia, feeling the smallest bit of guilt. "Not to be rude, but I've really got to go, Mia. I'll see you around?" She nodded, not really bothered by the looks of it. I smiled and hugged her before running off toward my mentor.

"_Dimitri_!" I couldn't help but emphasize the end of his name as I ran. Hopefully it'd keep the mood light between us.

He stopped and his eyebrows seemed to be knitted together. "Rose?"

I silently cursed myself for not thinking over how to approach him. I forced myself to smile. "Don't worry. Nothing's wrong?"

He didn't completely believe me. "Well, then why did you yell to get my attention?"

I shrugged. "I just felt like it."

"Rose."

"Fine." I clasped my hands together and began to twiddle my thumbs. "I have to tell you something." I waited for him to say something, but he never did; he just stood there patiently. I silently cursed again. This time I kept my voice barely above a whisper. "I may have told Lissa…about _us_."

"Oh?" He wasn't angry. In fact, he almost looked…relieved? "What made you tell her?"

"What Victor said at the trial made her extremely curious, especially with the rumors going around back at St. Vladimir's." I shifted my weight. "I couldn't put off telling her anymore. She's a little upset that I waited so long to tell her, but I'm giving her time to think about it all."

"Good."

"Huh?"

"You're being patient about it all. That's good." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad you told her too. She's your best friend; she has the right to know."

"I just hope no one overheard."

A firm hand rested on my shoulder then. "I doubt that anyone did."

"But someone could have—"

He tried to keep me quiet, but his attempts weren't working too well. I continued to babble frantically about stuff I didn't even know. I heard him sigh in frustration before placing his hand over my mouth. "_Calm down_."

The influence the man had on me amazed me at that moment. I stopped screaming into his hand and eventually stopped fidgeting. He noticed the change and dropped his hand. I sighed in relief. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Don't be so worked up over what happened at the trial. No one believed him anyway."

"No one?"

"No one."

* * *

**A/N: **Hmm, I surprised myself with writing this so quickly, especially compared to how long it took me to update last time. Though, I'm not as stressed now. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about my writing lately. But what do I know? I criticize myself all the time.  
So, you know what would be lovely? If you'd press the grayish and green button at the bottom of the page and review. :)  
And, if I don't update before Friday, I'd like to wish everyone a merry Christmas. Or happy holidays if you celebrate something else. :)


	14. Chapter 14

I was sitting in some little café with Mia and Eddie while Adrian, Christian, and Lissa were at dinner with the queen. Dimitri, being Lissa's sanctioned guardian, had to be at the dinner as well. Eddie and I would have gone there as part of the field experience, but Alberta decided that she'd give us the night off or something like that. I didn't have a problem with Mia or Eddie, but, really, I needed to talk to Lissa and see if she had an opinion on my relationship yet. Her opinion was the only one that mattered—other than Dimitri's, obviously.

"…wouldn't have ever seen this happening in a million years," Mia babbled. My worrying was cancelling her out, for the most part. "Can you believe that just two months ago, we were at each other's throats?"

Her simple statement made me think back to the Badica house. Every guardian and Moroi's throats literally ripped out. I shuddered.

"Rose?" Eddie placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "Are you all right?"

I blinked and nodded. "Yeah, I was just thinking about—" I exhaled. "About what I saw in Billings."

"Oh." He dropped his hand and suddenly found the mosaic table top interesting.

I never talked about what I saw when I was supposed to have my Qualifier and how everything took the turn for the absolute worse. It seemed that I brought that up less than the Spokane incident. I heard my breath hitch at the thought.

"So, how are things at St. Vladimir's?" Mia asked, doing her best to change the subject.

"Hell," I muttered without much though.

"Why's that?"

Shit. I didn't want anyone else to know the troubles I was with, but I nearly let them slip. After a moment, I shrugged. "The typical school drama. Rumors, romance, field experience."

"Romance?" Eddie chuckled. "You have hardly dated since returning to the Academy in the fall."

"Well, I may not have the greatest love life, but I do have one. Unlike a _certain_ someone."

His cheeks turned a light pink. "I've been too busy to have a love life."

"I've been busy too, but I still have one."

"With who then?"

I didn't think about that. I could lie… Yeah, lying sounds good. "Well, no one in particular. I actually have been considering Adrian lately…"

Okay, it wasn't a complete lie.

"_Ivashkov_?" Mia squeaked. "I thought that—"

"I knew you finally decided to be his friend, but not…_that_." Eddie quickly took a sip from his coffee.

I took that as my cue to explain—actually bullshit my way out this one. "Well, yeah. I mean, we're friends and all. But I said _considering_, not that I'll pursue. There's a difference. Stop assuming."

Mia smiled peacefully. "I think you and Adrian would make a cute couple."

"Cute? Me and Adrian?" I snorted.

"What?" She frowned. "It's obvious that he's into you. Why not give him a chance?"

"Uh…" Damn her. "I have to think about it."

"Why?"

I scowled. I'd forgotten that she had been so annoying. Instead of answering, I stood up from my chair and stormed off.

I slowed my pace down when I saw the building where my room was. I had realized that I'd been slipping into childish tantrums a lot lately. Or at least be tempted to.

And then the scent of cloves struck me. I nearly groaned. It figured that the source of my frustration would show up. Instead of ignoring him, I just came to a halt.

"Little dhampir?" Adrian's voice rang. He stepped out from the shadows of guest housing, puffing a small cloud of smoke. "What's wrong?"

I grunted and hugged myself to keep warm. "I'm just irritated." I felt my eyes narrow. "Why aren't you at dinner?"

"You're not the only one that grows tired of her," he said. "Your _boyfriend _left somewhere in between the second and third courses. I think Lissa relieved him of his duty for the evening or something."

"Wha—" I grinned. "Do you know which way he went?"

Adrian just shook his head though. "I don't pay much attention to cradle robbers."

"I thought you paid loads of attention to yourself."

He stared at me for a moment before he put on his usual lazy smile. "Touché."

A comfortable silence fell between us.

At least until I began rocking back on forth on the heels of my feet. I bit my lip. Mia's suggestion was nagging at me. I couldn't help but feel irritated, yet curious.

"Yes? Something you'd like to ask me?" Adrian asked, amused.

"How did you—?"

"Your aura."

"Oh, right." I bit my lip again. I wasn't sure if I should talk to him about what I'd been feeling lately. It was odd, but not unwelcomed.

"Or I could be misreading your aura, which is a first, but—"

"No, you're not misreading it." I sighed. "I just don't know if I want to talk about it at the moment. You know?"

"Does this have to do with Belikov?"

I gaped at him. "Do you honestly think that I only think about him?"

"Not the only thing, but the majority."

That was at least true, but there was no way I was going to give Adrian the satisfaction of calling me out on my stupid hormonal induced thought process. I scoffed. "Actually, this has to do with you, but I believe that I'll just head up to bed. Your cigarettes are giving me a headache, _as usual_, and I don't think you're even near being sober. So, if you'll excuse me…"

I about made it through the door, but he grabbed me by my upper arm. I turned my head just to see him throw his cigarette to the ground and stomp it out. I frowned at his littering.

"Adrian, what's this—?"

"I thought we called a truce."

"A truce?" I looked up into his eyes and I realized that they were an enchanting green. I smiled. "Oh, that truce."

"Yes, that truce." His smile wasn't as relaxed as usual, but it wasn't forced. At all. He pulled me closer. "Now, what's on your mind?"

"Well…" Really, how was I going to tell him? I inwardly groaned. "Eddie and Mia. I was just with that in this little café. They were trying to convince me to give you a chance rather than rejecting you constantly."

"Did you tell them that you haven't realized your love for me? That you love your _mentor_?" He was amused by this? What?

"How can you take this so lightly?"

"You wouldn't have even thought to tell me if you hadn't had some feelings toward me." That stupid smile.

"What do you—?"

His lips crashing onto mine drowned out any complaints I had. It definitely wasn't the short kiss we shared a few weeks before, but it was obviously not the same as the kisses Dimitri and I shared. And yet, I couldn't pull away. I melted into his frame when he pulled me even closer.

"What's going on here?"

I froze. My favorite aftershave taunted me then.

Adrian released me and took a step back. "Exactly what it looked like, Guardian Belikov."

I suddenly found the grass blades rather interesting and canceled out any arguing between Adrian and Dimitri. They were both in their twenties and were acting like children. Yeah, normally, I'd be happy about two great looking guys arguing over me, but it was beginning to be really annoying.

Dimitri randomly grabbed me by my upper arm and directed me into guest housing, ignoring Adrian's protests.

I did my best to slide my arm out of his grasp. I groaned in frustration when I realized it was a failed attempt. "Uh, _ow_."

"Oh, sorry." His hand fell back to his side.

I looked up at him to see anger and embarrassment in his features. Upset, I reached over and grabbed his hand. "Are you okay?"

"I don't really approve of Ivashkov."

"Well, that's pretty obvious."

He sighed. "Could you please be a little more careful?"

"I am being carefully. What you saw was one inno—a small, _meaningless _kiss. Nothing for you to become jealous over."

"I'm not—"

"Please," I said with an eye roll, "I know you better than that. You always stay calm, even in the most stress-inducing situations. All of that disappears whenever Adrian's around. Seriously, there is no competition."

We stopped in front a door then and he dug in his pocket for, I guess, a key. "If I tell you that I was _a little _jealous, would you not hang it over my head?"

"Yeah, I guess," I shrugged. Damn. I released his hand. "I'd best get going then. I'll—"

"No." He opened the door. "I'd like to speak to you in private, if you don't mind."

I felt my cheeks heat up. "What happened to—?"

"Come on." He pushed me into the room and shut the door behind him. "Go on and take a seat. I'll be there in a minute." I obliged and walked over to the chairs by the window, carefully avoiding the bed.

I was beyond confused. Nothing ever went right when I ever had privacy with Dimitri. Well, it went right for a while and then some stupid interruptions happen. Yes, he confessed that he loved me recently and I told him that I returned his feelings. It was true. I was in love with Guardian Dimitri Belikov. And yet, it was such a complicated relationship…if that's what you could call it.

I flashed him my best smile as he dragged the other chair across from me and sat down with that impossible grace for someone of his stature. "What'd you like to talk about, Captain Fuchsia?"

His eyes slightly narrowed at his childhood nickname. "Various things, but I'd like to mainly focus on your field experience marks right now."

I scowled. "If this has to do with what St—Guardian Alto marked, sorry. I was having an extremely off day and—"

Dimitri dismissed my rambling with a wave of his hand. "That's not what I want to discuss. Everyone makes mistakes. You need to stop stressing over it." He caught my hands in his. "I'd prefer to discuss how you're dealing with guarding Christian."

"Well..." I focused on the slightly worn leather of his duster. "It's not awful, but I don't really understand why I couldn't be guarding Lissa for this too when we all know I'll be her guardian when we graduate."

"One day you may not be though. You could be guarding someone else."

I glared at him. "I wouldn't let anything happen to her."

"I know that." His gently squeezed my hands. "It's better to be safe than sorry. The bond is a handicap for the both of you, so it's just as much a test for her as it is for you."

"But—"

"Rose, we're doing you both a favor. Please realize that."

I frowned. "It's like they think I'll make a mistake and something bad will happen."

Until I felt his forehead against mine, I didn't realize that we were leaning toward each other. "They don't think that. They actually think you'll be one of the best guardians out there. And, if it makes you feel any better, Rose, I'll be by your side the whole time."

That calmed me down. I had a comment to that, but I just couldn't bring myself to say it. I stared into the deep depths of his eyes and heard my breath hitch. Whatever the case, the glint in his eyes was alluring.

He smiled. "Yes?"

"Uh…" I glanced at his lips next, wanting nothing more than to just kiss him like my life depended on it. "I'm…not sure…"

He then sat back, letting my hands go and his fall onto his lap. The smile he wore was almost…smug.

I glanced at him slapped his knee. "Dimitri Belikov, you ass!"

He chuckled. "What?"

"You're—"

One of his eyebrows slowly rose mockingly. "What?"

"You're, well, a _tease_." I couldn't help but glare at him. "It's either that or you're bipolar."

Dimitri let out a whole-hearted chuckle. "I assure you that I'm neither, Roza."

I grinned. "I'd really love for you to prove me wrong."

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**A/N: **Sorry about the delay in updating and, honestly, how shitty this chapter really is. My thoughts are elsewhere thanks to the holidays, which I hope are going as well for everyone as they are for me.  
Now, reviews would keep me in the good mood that I've been in. Tell me what you're thinking about how this is all going and constructive criticism. That's always great. Helpful, too. :)


	15. Chapter 15

_Rose? Where are you?_ Lissa's voice rang through the bond, waking me up.

I just lie there for a few minutes to mumble farewells to the soft pillows and the rather warm blanket. I was so, so comfortable. I didn't want to ever get up.

My eyes flew open when she was trying to contact me again and I took in my surroundings. Everything from the night before came rushing back to me. I'd stayed the night in Dimitri's room. Nothing more happened than the occasional stolen kiss and sharing stories, but he did prove me right.

Whether he realized it or not, he's a tease.

I turned onto my other side to see my personal Russian god in a deep slumber. His face was relaxed, peaceful. His brown hair fell across his features.

I smiled and reached to hold his hand that rested on my waist. He lightly stirred at the contact before his eyes fluttered open. He smiled too. "Good morning, Roza."

Aside from the fact that we were illegal as a couple for another few weeks, I could get used to waking up to see him every morning. The happy buzz I was having was a positive to this all too. "G'morning, comrade."

He gently squeezed my hand that was holding his. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did." I shifted a little, making my last moment or so in bed comfortable. "Probably the best night of sleep I've had in a while."

"I believe it's safe for me to say that I feel the same."

Despite my surprise toward how relaxed he was, I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his. I didn't want to leave, but I needed to. "Lissa's looking for me and she's close to getting the guardians to help her. I need to go."

For a brief second, he frowned, but his smile was back just as quickly as it had disappeared. "I understand."

_They come first_.

I let go of his hand and slid out of bed and over to the chair I was sitting in the night before to collect my shoes and jacket. The saying that was drilled into our minds since we were little nagged at me and I was really beginning to hate it. I was resisting the temptation my currently half-naked mentor was offering simply because of my duty as Lissa's future guardian. I pulled on my jacket and quickly zipped it up to attempt hiding the shirt I was wearing the day before. No matter where I was coming from, that'd give the wrong impression.

Dimitri managed to make it to the door by the time I had gracelessly hopped to the door while putting my shoes on. I watched as he stuck his head out in the hallway. He quickly stepped back, keeping his hand on the door handle.

"Well?" I prompted, anxiety getting the best of me.

"You're safe to go." He smiled and opened the door even further.

I gave him a fleeting glance, wishing I could admire a shirtless Dimitri just a few moments more, as I scurried out of the room and down the hallway.

Unfortunately, I ran into Lissa just as I was about to leave the hall all together and hide any proof that I fell asleep in my forbidden lover's room.

"Rose!" She gasped. "I've been looking all over for you. Where have you been?"

I brushed myself off. "Nice to see you too, Liss."

She sighed. "I was worried. So would you please answer my question?"

"Yes, but not here." I glanced down the hallway before pulling her along with me down a flight of stairs and to my own room.

"Why couldn't you—" She stopped speaking and took in my disheveled appearance. Her mood quickly turned to disappointment and curiosity. "You didn't…"

I rolled my eyes as I tried unlocking the door. "Of course not." After a rather loud 'aha' from the door unlocking, I pushed the door open and motioned for her to go in. "Let's not talk about that out in the open though."

She frowned, but waltzed on into the room; I followed.

Lissa gracefully sat down on the foot of the bed, eyeing me pointedly. "So, what happened last night?"

"Nothing, Liss," I replied as I sat down next to her. "We were just talking and I happened to fall asleep in his room. It's no big deal."

"It _is_ a big deal!" Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "If it happened at the academy, do you know what trouble you could have gotten in? The rumors that would start up?"

"It was an _accident_."

"Yes, but it could lead to—"

"We didn't get caught. And if we had, nothing happened anyway. Everything about it was completely innocent." I decided to stare at the elegant wallpaper so that I didn't lose my temper. "Now, why were you looking for me?"

She welcomed the change of subject, but she was still upset. "Actually, I wanted to talk about your relationship with Guardian Belikov."

I frowned at the formal use of his name, but kept my comment to myself. I'd been wanting to know her opinion on it "What about it?"

"I'm happy for you," Lissa simply said. "Truly, I am. I just wish you would have told me sooner. You know I won't tell anyone. Not even Christian."

"We've tried to fight against our feelings, for the sake of duty. I just cannot control my emotions around him though. It's so…I don't know…"

She grinned. "You love him don't you?"

I completely relaxed at the cheery tone of her voice; it was the exact opposite when Adrian asked me the same question a few weeks before; I didn't feel any guilt. I mirrored her grin with one of my own. "I do."

"And does he…?"

"Yes." I covered my ears when she squealed.

Lissa, more or less, surprised me with a hug and I lost any balance that I had and we both fell off the bed. She just laughed and climbed to her feet after mumbling a few phrases like 'I'm so happy for you,' 'congrats,' 'oh my God.'

I decided to lie there on the floor instead of getting up. "I'd really love it if you didn't shout it from the rooftops that your best friend has a relationship with her mentor."

She stifled her laughter and agreed. "Fine. No more shouting."

"Just be thankful we're at Court and not at school."

"I am."

We sat in silence for a moment. I couldn't help but think of the last time she and I spent any time together in that silence. It seemed like it had been forever ago. Almost around the time we had been brought back to the academy.

Huh. Time flies.

"So…" I folded my arms behind my head so that the floor wasn't as uncomfortable. "You are okay with everything?"

"Of course," she breathed. "Albeit the age difference, I think it's rather romantic. Almost like Romeo and Juliet."

I scoffed. "I never thought I'd see the day I was compared to anything Shakespeare."

She giggled. "Neither did I, but it just fell into place that way."

"True."

We talked about school, Spirit, and various other things after that. Just as calmly as we used to before all of the drama and tragedy happened. It made me feel like I finally had my best friend back.

At least for those couple short hours.

Christian nearly broke my door down from knocking so impatiently. It had worried Lissa and he practically dragged her away murmuring something before I could even find out what happened. I was about to slip into Lissa's mind to find out when there was a lighter knock on the, now, open door.

I sighed, closing my eyes in frustration as I sat on the foot of the bed. "You may as well come in."

I heard the door shut and the bed shift beneath me a little. Even if his aftershave hadn't given him away, I would have figured it was Dimitri. And something serious had to have happened, not only for Christian to make enough noise to wake the entire country, but for Dimitri to come to my room and discuss something privately.

"Rose…" He, obviously, was trying to get me to make eye contact before he said anything more. He gently cupped my chin and turned my head.

I opened my eyes to see him worried. I frowned. "_Please _tell me there wasn't another attack."

Dimitri's mouth fell into a thin line. "Technically, it wasn't an attack."

"Then what happened?" I came close to jumping to my feet. "What else is there?"

He skipped the opportunity to chastise running away. He just sat there for a moment and I recognized the expression that showed he had been deep in thought, trying to structure his answer perfectly.

"Dimitri?"

After quickly glancing at the door, he locked his eyes with mine. "There was a breach in St. Vladimir's wards. They said that they didn't find anything, like stakes, that could have cancelled the wards' magic out. They don't know what happened other than possibly two or three Strigoi getting onto campus and carrying off a group of students."

"_What_?" This time I tried to jump to my feet, but Dimitri placed his hands on my shoulders and restrained me. I groaned. "That doesn't make any sense. Something affected the wards enough to where _Strigoi _got onto campus? And then they carried off students? No defense on the academy's behalf?"

"The academy is short on guardians until—"

"Until we get back." I rolled my eyes. "Let me guess. Our flight was moved up and we're leaving soon?"

"Yes."

Damn. "How soon?

"We're departing in about an hour and a half."

I sagged in defeat. "Well, that just dampers my day."

Dimitri slowly moved his hands from down to my own and held them. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean that I woke up in a fantastic mood." I said this while eyeing him with a forced smile. "And then, Lissa and I finally got to talk…But now, the problem at the school…Do you know who all was taken?"

He shook his head. "I don't. Sorry."

Great. _Just _great.

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**A/N: **I'll just keep my self-criticism to myself for once and I'll just let you all express yourselves in reviews. :)  
On a depressing note, my favorite drummer, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan passed away Monday and I've been rather torn up about it. I'm just wishing to know what the actual cause of his death was and whether or not Avenged Sevenfold will go on. And, despite it will never be the same, I hope they carry on in memory of Jimmy.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **Another one of these. I'll be paraphrasing and tweaking some of what happens in chapter 17 of Shadow Kiss…which this whole story is basically a rewrite of the book (well, condensed too), if you haven't noticed…Kind of, maybe… Whatever. I don't own Vampire Academy. I don't own Dimitri, sadly, but I _do _own Captain Fuchsia. :D

----

I ended up being stuck next to Adrian on the flight back to the academy.

On top of the events at St. Vladimir's, I couldn't help but feel awkward sitting next to him. It probably wouldn't have been so uncomfortable if I had pulled away from the kiss rather than breaking it when Dimitri came by…and maybe if I hadn't left with him. Not that I regret what happened. I more regret the fact that I pushed the boundaries of the classification as a harlot. Granted, I had yet to lose my virginity, but it still felt that way and, for some bizarre reason, I heard my mother's voice in the back of my head saying how I need to focus on becoming a guardian. _They come first. _I silently cursed. Lately, I was really beginning to hate the saying with a passion. _He comes first _was what I wanted it to be at times, such as that morning. Waking up next to him seemed so natural that, for the briefest moment, it felt like I wasn't meant to be the badass guardian I had been training my entire life to become. Just thinking that was practically treason, but I couldn't help myself.

Despite my emotional and mental battles and the awkward tension, I tried to be comfortable at least until arriving back at the academy. And, honestly, it was difficult when sitting next an already drunken Ivashkov on a private jet…And my secret lover, Russian guardian sitting just across the aisle made it that much worse. Whatever I did to deserve this torture was beyond me. I groaned and slammed my head against the back of the seat, receiving a few confused glances that I tried to ignore.

Luck just wasn't on my side that morning, however.

It was proven as soon as we were up in the air. The same headache—migraine, even—from the flight to Court had returned. It was unbearable. I groaned again, hiding my face in my hands so that I wouldn't have to face the 'aura' and having no idea what to do. I could feel the eyes of everyone on me, but I refused to look at them…at least until I felt the familiar hand of my mentor rest on my shoulder and heard him murmur my name in attempt to, I believe, not worsen my headache any further.

I lowered my hands to my lap and turned my head to face Dimitri. His eyes, like earlier, were filled with worry. He knew something was going on and I knew that I'd have to face him when arriving back at the academy for some type of interrogation.

"Is it like when we were on the flight to Court?" Adrian asked, tearing my attention away from the silent conversation Dimitri and I seemed to be having.

I slid down in the seat with a sigh. I wanted to just yell at him, but for, the sake of my own stability and the newly found friendship between us, I didn't. "Yes," I muttered.

"Did you not eat again?" Alberta asked. She had been hovering nearby in the aisle. "It could be lack of vitamins or nutrients."

I scoffed. "I just forgot to eat. It shouldn't be _this _bad."

She exhaled in frustration, but I unintentionally canceled her voice out when complete transparent figures appeared. I recognized the family and guardians from the Badica house. The few of Victor's guardians that had been killed on the rescue mission. Lissa's family… They all looked sad. Extremely sad. I averted my attention to behind Andre, only to see something that looked like a black hole. Andre pointed at me, and then to the black hole-thing. It took a moment to register, but the black hole was like the gateway to the world of death. Where I belonged.

And then I screamed, shouted for the ghosts to just go away. To leave me alone.

They just wouldn't.

The effects of the migraine became overwhelming. The aura that Alberta had told me about seemed to have blinded me…

…

I woke up to seeing everything white. My eyes were slightly stinging and I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the bright surroundings. What surprised me was that the migraine was gone. I felt fine.

Dimitri suddenly came into sight. With him looking down at me, his face was hidden in shadows, but the concern for me was obviously there. He caressed my cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine now." I tried sitting up, but he quickly had his hand on my shoulder and pushed me back down.

He frowned and asked, "What happened on the plane?"

I figured he'd chastise me for saying 'nothing,' so I just told him the truth. The ghosts. The black hole. "I don't understand why it happened only on the plane, though. I was perfectly fine at Court. I'm fine now…"

"Rose," Dimitri breathed, lightly brushing his thumb across my cheek, "you should have told me about this sooner."

"I know…" There really was no point in even trying to lie. He always saw through me anyway. "I didn't tell anyone within good reason."

"What would that reason be?"

"Do believe that I'm seeing ghosts?"

"I believe that you _think—_"

"Exactly." I took a deep breath to try and remain calm. "You, of all people, won't even believe me. Seeing ghosts isn't exactly what someone would take lightly, unless I magically became a necromancer or something. If I told anyone else, they'd report it and I'd probably be in a straitjacket by morning…"

"I never said that I didn't believe you." He wasn't trying to ridicule me over my rambling, but something about his tone threw me off.

"So, what do you mean by that?"

"I don't believe in ghosts, Rose."

For a brief moment, I wondered if he noticed the irony in his beliefs. What with his grandmother _seeing _things. I pushed that into the back of my mind, however.

I took advantage of our silence and decided to change the subject. "Am I clear to leave my second home now?"

At least I got a small chuckle out of him. "Yes. Dr. Olendzki said you could leave whenever you woke up. Though, she nearly had you withdrawn from the field experience. _Nearly_," he added when he saw my mouth open to comment. He continued. "The solution was that you'll be on half-time instead, meaning you'll be guarding Christian three days a week and no night duty."

"But—" I groaned. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. Dr. Olendzki just suggested you see a counselor, but she allowed me to talk to you about it first." He lightly brushed some hair out of my face. "_I _think a counselor is a good idea, but it's ultimately your decision, Rose."

I had never liked the idea of revealing my personal problems to anyone. Let alone a complete stranger. "I'd rather not."

"Think about it at least."

I should have figured that I wouldn't get away with it that easily. I sat up and climbed out of bed. "I'll think about it, but no guaranteeing I'll agree to it."

We left the infirmary in silence.

Like usual, I spoke first. "Am I guarding Christian today?"

Dimitri shook his head. "No. Everyone has the day off today…to cope with the incident."

That's one thing I never understood. They give everyone time off when something that can be traumatic happens when we should keep our focus on something else so that we don't think about it. "Well, that's logical…"

He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his duster, staring straight ahead. "It's not the best idea, but guardians need to meet and discuss the situation at hand."

"Shouldn't you be at the meeting then?"

"Technically, yes, but," he paused as he glanced over at me, "Guardian Petrov wanted to make sure you were all right, first of all. Then, since I'm Lissa's sanctioned guardian, she wants me to keep an eye on her. The both of you, actually."

"Damn, just when I thought I got rid of you," I muttered playfully.

For the second time in a few minutes, he chuckled. "Not even close."

I grinned. Not only did I get to stay with Dimitri, but I also got to spend some time with Lissa. Though, I wasn't too happy about her constant questions coming through the bond. I knew I couldn't get out of explaining myself when I got to the Moroi dorms, where Lissa was. Because of this, I decided to slow down my pace considerably.

Dimitri stopped a foot ahead and turned around to face me. I decided to stop as well.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

I shrugged. "As okay as anyone seeing ghosts can be."

"Rose."

"What? I'm about to be bombarded with questions from Lissa and I'm not exactly looking forward to telling the story all over again." I started to glare at him, but then an idea hit me and I flashed him my best smile. "Dimitri, could you—?"

He frowned. "It's not my story to tell."

"_Please_." After glancing around, I stepped forward and wrapped one arm around his neck, beginning to run my fingers through his small ponytail. It was completely new for me to even try flirting my way out of something with him, but I was praying that it'd work. "Please," I repeated.

He tried to fight back a moan, but he failed. "Rose…"

"Hmm?"

He quickly pulled me into the shadows of the infirmary and pressed me up against the wall. I was a little surprised by his sudden animosity, but happily welcomed it.

Dimitri lightly pressed his lips to mine, but didn't actually kiss me. He just decided to finally answer in a husky whisper that was heavily laced with his Russian accent. "If it bothers you that much, I'll tell them what happened."

I smiled. "Thanks."

And just like that, he finally kissed me.

The kiss started out slow and gentle, like they usually did. But, something snapped inside of the both of us. He pressed himself against me to the point where I couldn't move any of my limbs.

Not that I minded. Temporary immobility at his hand is a hell of a lot better than being pushed away all the time.

His fingers were playing at the hem of my shirt, occasionally brushing my skin and sending waves of electricity through my body. When I gasped, he was quick to lift me off my feet and make the height difference less of a problem. I responded with such enthusiasm that, with some effort, I wrapped my legs around his waist.

"Get a room, would you?"

I reluctantly broke the kiss and turned my head in the direction in which the voice came, only to see Viktoria with a look of mock-disgust. I then glanced down to see that she was with Paul, his expression mirroring his aunt's.

I giggled. "If we were anyone else, you wouldn't pay any mind."

"Yes," she smirked. "But, _he _is my brother. I don't want to see him getting it on, period. I don't want to see anyone doing so, actually." She glanced down at her nephew. "Poor Paul. He has to be scarred for life."

At the sound of his name, Paul broke out of his trance and frowned. "I am not."

"I think she's being overdramatic," I muttered.

Dimitri gave a small, soft laugh. "It seems that way."

Viktoria rolled her eyes. "Could you two please untangle yourselves and get to the Moroi dorms? That Christian guy is getting on my last nerve."

Dimitri scowled, while I laughed; we both obliged and were walking toward the dorms within a few seconds.

"Now, how difficult is it for you not to go at it like rabbits?" Viktoria asked after a long stretch of silence.

"I'd put it right up there with rocket science," I mused.

Despite his sister's laugh, Dimitri grimaced. "It wouldn't be so bad, had I not been interrupted by my perverted sister and everything ended properly."

I snorted with laughter.

Viktoria, on the other hand, harrumphed. "You two are disgusting."

"Don't interrupt next time," I suggested. "Just ignore it and keep walking."

"Believe me; I would have, if the princess hadn't wanted to see you right away." She glared at us. "And for goodness sake, you two look a mess."

Dimitri and I exchanged glances before looking over ourselves. Lo and behold, we both looked disheveled. I'm sure it'd look like we'd just had a fight, on most days. With the rumors going around, however, it'd looked like we'd…well, what we just did.

I stopped and began running my fingers through my hair, then straightened my clothes the best I could. Dimitri did the same. Once we looked presentable, we continued walking.

"It's a real shame that your relationship has to be a secret," Viktoria rambled on. "You two make a great couple."

"This coming from the girl who was complaining about us just a few minutes ago?" I teased.

"Hey, I'd prefer not to walk outside and see anyone making out. Do all of that behind closed doors." Her face fell into a scowl. "And _don't _tell me about it. My brother's love life is best kept a secret from me."

I couldn't help myself. "Oh, no offense or anything, but does bipolar disorder happen to run in your family?" Dimitri shot me a look that clearly said 'shut up.'

"Possibly. I've always questioned it myself." Viktoria shrugged. "Why?"

I smiled smugly. "Oh, nothing. I was just curious."

Our walk ended in silence, other than Paul's occasional 'Look at that' or 'wow' when looking over the buildings.

When we entered the Moroi dorms, I was almost immediately pulled down to sit between Lissa and Adrian on a sofa and attacked with questions by the two of them—and Eddie. I shot a desperate look at Dimitri, who stuck to his word and explained everything that I had told him earlier in the infirmary.

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**A/N: **I'm not sure if I gave the books any justice as far as describing the kiss. This is the first time I've ever actually written a make out scene. Pretty sad, but I usually don't like to focus on all of that.  
Oh, and my updates may be even further apart now. I've got two projects for both of my AP classes coming up once school starts back up Monday and I have no idea how much of my attention they'll need. Or, updates could come as often as they did before, seeing as how I outline everything in a chapter during lectures. I'm not sure.  
Anyway, reviews would be lovely. :D


	17. Chapter 17

"So you're telling us that you've been seeing ghosts?" Christian asked his tone curious. For once.

"Yeah." I shrugged and carefully avoided eye contact with Dimitri while uttering my next words. "It's happened twice here at the academy. Once when I was on my way to the gym. The other time was during the fake attack with Stan."

"So that's what happened?" Christian raised an eyebrow.

"That's what I _just_ said."

"There happens to be a very angry Russian in the room," Adrian whispered in my ear, drowning out the other voices in the room.

Sighing, I closed my eyes to be a little less conspicuous about getting into Lissa's mind. Sure enough, Adrian was right. Dimitri's aura was a brilliant red, despite the emotionless, stoic exterior. A red that made me want to just cower back in the sofa. A red that nearly hid the various pinks, greens, and grays. I quickly got out of her mind, shaking my head as I did. I know that I still wasn't out of explaining everything as far as Dimitri was concerned. As for the others, I knew I was clear from explaining anything else further.

I just didn't expect my interrogation as soon as it had come.

"Rose, can I speak to you for a moment?" Dimitri asked.

"What? No pulling her away without warning this time?" Adrian snapped. "Or do—" He quickly silenced himself when he saw the glare he had earned; he muttered an apology.

To quickly put an end to the awkward silence, I scrambled to my feet. "Sure thing, Guardian Belikov."

Surprise flickered across his face at my formal use of his name, but he kept his composure and walked out of the building without another word. Viktoria and I briefly exchanged glances. She shrugged; I then followed her brother.

Dimitri was leaning against a nearby tree, his arms crossed and his eyes tightly shut. I expected him to make the argument one-sided, so I kept my pace slow.

He knew me too well, though. "Taking your time won't make this any better," he stated, not even bothering to open his eyes or move from his stance.

I silently cursed my dreadful ninja skills before picking up my pace. "I already know you're angry that I didn't tell you everything, but it's not like you weren't going to hear about it."

His eyes opened, but he stared straight ahead. "All I'm trying to do is help, but you're making it a lot more difficult than it should be by not telling me your entire story."

"It's not like you believe me," I muttered.

"We've already discussed this. It's not that I don't believe you; it's only difficult for me to accept that you're seeing ghosts. I will try to keep an open mind."

Well, when he says it like that…I mentally scolded myself. "I'm sorry that it contradicts your beliefs."

Dimitri smiled sympathetically. "Don't be. It's out of your control." He paused. "Still, I wish you have told me every—"

"The ghost I've been seeing here at school is Mason."

He stared at me blankly. "What?"

"The day you found me outside the gym and during Stan's fake Strigoi attack…Mason showed up both times. Well, a translucent him anyway…The first time he just showed up and looked as if he needed to tell me something important. The second time, well, he did the same thing and he pointed toward the northern side of campus. I don't understand why though…"

"The northern side of campus?" he repeated.

"Yes."

Something must have clicked in his mind, because his fingers firmly curved around my wrist and he began guiding me across the grounds.

"What's so significant about the north end of campus?" I asked, trying not to stumble after him.

"That's where it appears the wards were breached," he answered. "The students were in a rather large group near the wards. Had there been more Strigoi, there definitely would have been ever more students carried away."

"But how did Strigoi get on campus in the first place? I know that you said there weren't any traces of stakes like there had been at the Badica house… Are we completely sure that that's the case? No trace of them at all? Maybe they overlooked something?" I was sure I sounded hysterical. "Have the others been questioned about…what happened?"

"No, not yet." He sighed. "They're not ready—"

"By the time they can answer, it will be too late!

Dimitri cursed under his breath in Russian. "We're trying, Rose, but we don't have much to go on until they start answering questions."

"But—"

"Rose, trust me."

I had my doubts, but Dimitri was one of the few people I could trust. I, obviously, trusted him with my life. That should have been enough to trust his word.

My extended silence seemed to have worried him because he reached over to grab my hand and spoke softly, "Roza?"

"Sorry." I sighed. "I'm still having trouble trusting the school."

He gave my hand a gentle squeeze and murmured, "Я тебя люблю."

Judging by his tone, I assumed he was saying 'I love you.' I replied in the only other language I knew well enough. "Te quiero demasiado."

He chuckled. "Only you."

I flashed him my best smile. "I would have said it in Russian, if a certain _someone_ would teach me the language."

"I'm afraid you'll use it to insult rather than actually converse." He kept his tone playful, but it was clear that he was serious.

"Come on, I'm not that brash."

The corners of his mouth tugged upward. "I'll think about it."

"I—What?" Dumbfounded, I glanced over at him only to see him completely smiling now. "Really?"

"I said that I'll _think _about it, not that I will."

I shrugged. "It's better than any response you would have given me six and a half months ago. I'm rubbing off on you, Captain Fuchsia."

Dimitri ignored the nickname and released my hand as he gradually came to a stop.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I slowed down as well.

"Observing," he hummed. His head tilted down, his eyes darted back and forth. I did my best to follow his gaze. And it took a moment to realize that he was looking for any ruptures in the earth. For signs of a stake previously in the ground. As if unsatisfied with what he saw, he crouched down, tilting his head to the side. I didn't want to disturb him, so I walked a little off to my right to help cover ground faster.

I had only seen wards staked once before and that had been a couple moths before…and in the snow...and at the Badica house. I really didn't want to relive that day, but it felt necessary. I wasn't sure what I was looking for exactly, but I assumed the holes would be similar to the ones found in a garden. And the only way I knew that was because of my old rebellious ways and sneaking out of my room—or ditching class. A garden was the last place they'd expect a hormonal raging teenager to hide or sneak off to. So, my previous antics came in handy for once. At least in the guardian department. My love life was a completely different story.

Despite my sudden and unnecessary smugness, I began examining the ground. Before I could even register the dirt that scattered across the grass, I gasped. In my peripheral vision, I saw Dimitri's head snap up at the sound and him staring at me. "What is it?"

I blinked before slapping my forehead. "Never mind. It's just an anthill," I muttered. I continued walking along what I guessed would be the perimeter of the academy.

The longer I looked, the more frustrated I became. There wasn't even a trace of the ground being ruptured—other than that stupid anthill. I finally groaned in defeat and threw my hands up in the air. "I can't find _anything_." I turned around.

Dimitri, standing next to me now, was still observing the ground whilst rubbing his jaw. "Are you sure he pointed to the northern end of campus, Rose?"

"Well, it'd make sense…" I shrugged. "I could be wrong though. It is difficult to comprehend each detail of a translucent hand."

Dimitri placed his hands on my shoulders and got down to my eye level. He looked apologetic, which I didn't understand until his spoke his next words, continuing our earlier discussion. "I think seeing that counselor is a good idea, Rose. It could help." He sighed when he saw my mouth open to make a retort and he quickly continued. "I'm not saying that I don't believe that you're seeing ghosts. I'm only giving you my opinion."

I scoffed. "You think I'm insane."

He frowned. "No, I—"

I heard the growl develop in Dimitri's throat and, though he didn't respond any more than that, I whispered, "Easy, comrade." When he scowled, I felt my face fall into a frown. Without much thinking my gaze drifted to the ground. "So, you didn't find anything either?"

"No," he replied, his tone calm. "It was worth a try, though."

"But we didn't accomplish anything…" I sighed.

Dimitri just stood there, silent, for a moment, looking at me closely. I would have punched me had I been in his position, what with having to hear the doubt dripping off my words. It's a wonder he's so patient with me. "We need to get back," he finally said as his hands dropped from my shoulders back to his sides.

"Where the hell did you two go?" Viktoria asked as soon as Dimitri and I reentered the dorm building.

I opted to glare at her as I took my earlier seat between Lissa and Adrian. Our absence would have gone unnoticed by the others in the commons at the time.

Dimitri, on the other hand, was honest with her. For the most part. "Rose had a theory and we went to inspect the wards." He cut her off before she could even begin, but I never got to hear whatever he told her.

"I wouldn't mind inspecting your wards, little dhampir," Adrian murmured.

I couldn't help but laugh. "I wouldn't count on it. My _wards_ are—how should I say this?—_exclusive_."

He grinned mischievously. "Are they?"

I rolled my eyes and shoved him playfully. "Very."

Leave it to Adrian to find a sexual innuendo in a serious situation. Of course, I was no better by playing along, which earned me a glare from my mentor. I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. And it worsened at the thought of Dimitri being the only one to make me blush, nor did the flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"Enough flirting," Christian deadpanned, absentmindedly playing with Lissa's fingers. "I don't want to hear x-rated conversations."

"_I'm_ not flirting," I said at the same time Adrian suggested, "Don't listen."

-------

**A/N: **I apologize for the wait and the lame ending. Actually, I'm sorry that this chapter is rather awful. Eh…  
Anyway, during my writer's block stages for this chapter, I went through a graphic designing frenzy. I ended up designing a banner for this. It's not my best work, but I'm pleased with it. And, believe it or not, I've been outlining the end of Rumor Has It and the beginning of a sequel. Yes, a sequel. I'm not giving any spoilers, but I will show you the banner I designed for it as well. You'll find both banners on the bottom of my profile. :D  
Anywho, reviews would be lovely. :)


	18. Chapter 18

I really hadn't seen Dimitri's family since before the field experience began. And I'm not going to lie; it felt weird saying goodbye. Weird, yet heartbreaking. They had insisted that they needed to get back so that pregnancy hormones didn't go wild, but I had a feeling that they were also leaving because of the breach in the wards.

Viktoria dragged me along saying things like "you're like family," "they'll be devastated if you don't show…" Oh and my personal favorite: "Paul's keeping _molnija _count on you and Dimka."

So, like Dimitri and Viktoria, I nearly had the life squeezed out of me by Olena and my face was covered with traces of the lipstick she wore. Yet, she had pulled me to the side, out of hearing range from those around the private jet (the academy at least insisted on making sure they at least got back safely, if they weren't going to extend their stay).

Her eyes rested on me. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"Rose, you've made my son happy."

I gaped at her. "What?"

"Have you really not noticed?" She chuckled.

"Well…" I couldn't help but revel in the memories of Dimitri and my stolen moments throughout the campus. It's then that I realized that, even though I'm the person he's closest to, he's more open than I'd ever known him to be now. He definitely smiled more. _A lot _more. I think that's all that Olena wanted. "I have, come to think of it."

Olena smiled as she placed her hands on either of my shoulders. "You have no idea what that means to me." Her face fell for the slightest second, but she composed herself. "I won't lie to you; I truly thought that Dimka would become more than friends with Natasha Ozera." When I grimaced, she let out a sigh. "I know all about her offer. His refusal did surprise me, with my knowledge of their friendship. When he told me about it, I knew that it had to take someone rather important for my son to not agree to something Tasha offered. I had to meet you. We _all _had to meet you. Believe me, if Karolina and Sonya could be here, they would be." There was now a glint in her eye, one that showed undeniable approval. "As it turns out, I was right. No matter your age difference and being guardians, what you two have is, well, special. Honestly, Rose, you're part of the family now."

I'm not a fan of becoming all emotional when told something so sincere; in fact, I was the one laughing during movies when that happened. But I couldn't hold back a smile and even try to avoid the stinging in my eyes. Damn. "I think you may be crediting me more than I deserve."

She chuckled. "No, I don't think that I am, дочь."

At my, no doubt, confused expression she laughed and opened her mouth to reply, but a deep voice, one with a not-so-thick Russian accent sounded. "It means daughter."

Olena and I turned to see Dimitri, smiling brightly.

"How much did you hear?" I asked.

"From our relationship being special on after," he said with a shrug. His smile then fell into a frown. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the plane leaves in ten minutes."

Olena let out an exasperated sigh and began walking in the direction of the plane. Dimitri and I followed.

A few minutes, hugs, kisses, and goodbyes had passed and Olena had stopped halfway up the steps to board the plane. She swiftly turned around, once again smiling. "I'd love to see you all _soon_." She turned to me. "Make sure that these two write and call regularly. You should too, Rose."

I nodded. At least she was asking me to do something possible. Yeva had cornered me just before leaving the guest housing and suggested that I learn the Russian language. I had hard enough time calling her 'babushka,' like she had asked; I had no idea how I'd achieve the entire language. Well, and she also suggested that grass green would be a lovely color for Lissa. I just had no idea why she'd tell me that. Nevertheless, Olena was a lot less complicated, for I was grateful. "Of course."

She blinked back a few tears, muttered a goodbye, and finally boarded the plane.

Another few minutes passed and the plane was beginning to take off and we, meaning Dimitri, Viktoria, and I, had to clear the area. We all did…with great reluctance.

"I'm going to miss them," Viktoria sighed as we made our way to the cafeteria, once the plane was in the air and out of sight.

"Me too," said Dimitri.

I felt like I was intruding a sibling bonding moment. Therefore, I started picking up my pace, only to be pulled back by Dimitri.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"You two need to spend time together. Bond," I answered.

"No," Viktoria mused, "you're like my sister. You can be a part of these conversations. Plus, Babushka said that you and Dimka—"

"Viktoria," Dimitri scolded.

"What?" she asked innocently. "You know it's true. I've seen the—"

He growled something in Russian; she quickly fell silent.

However, I was curious. "Why are evading—?"

"Rose," he warned.

Viktoria grumbled something. I only caught 'scared,' 'uncertain,' and 'idiot.'

I sighed. "Fine."

…

"You don't have the faintest idea what topic they've been talking about?" Lissa asked, crossing her legs from her sitting stance on top of a desk in an unused classroom. "Guardian Belikov doesn't seem like the type of person to avoid something."

"He _usually _doesn't," I said bitterly, thinking of our constant bickering around Christmastime, and shifted in my seat. I shook my head and propped my legs on the desktop of a desk in front of me. "That's what makes this so…weird."

"What makes what so weird?" Adrian asked as he entered the room.

"Guardian Belikov—"

"Dimitri," I corrected her.

"—isn't telling Rose something," she continued as if I hadn't said anything, "and she can't leave it alone."

Adrian raised his eyebrows curiously at me, gaze amused. "Maybe he's planning something?" he suggested. "After all, your birthday is what…next week?"

"Nine days," I said, without much thought. "I doubt that's what he's doing, unless Viktoria's forcing him."

"You never know."

"No, but—" A thought occurred to me then. "You know something about this!"

"Possibly." He ran a hand through his stylishly messy hair. "Not that you'll get anything out of me. Not even," he mused, eyebrows waggling, "for a kiss, little dhampir."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't want to know, if that's the price."

"Are you sure?" His lazy smile plastered on his face.

"Positive."

Lissa let out an exasperated sigh. "Be nice, Rose."

"Fine," I grumbled. "Just get on with your practice."

And so they did. While Adrian was getting dead plants to blossom, Lissa was having trouble with dreamwalking. Well, at least I think she was. Once I had fallen asleep to be their guinea pig, she never even flickered in my dreams, though Adrian had a few times. Lissa was starting to feel a little frustrated that he had learned one of her tricks and she couldn't learn one of his…well, the one she wanted to learn. She mastered seeing auras rather quickly.

Afterward, Lissa scurried off to find Christian. I, on the other hand, was not so lucky to get away from Adrian.

He decided to walk me to my dorm, despite my protests.

"Really, I can walk upstairs and unlock my room without any help," I said as he opened the dhampir dorm building's door open.

"I'm only being the gentleman," he breathed.

"Yeah, yeah." I stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned around to see him right behind me. "Really, I'll be fine."

"I know." He tilted his head to the side, as if deep in thought.

"Well," I said, "then go."

He smiled lazily again. "Sure thing, little dhampir."

Adrian left, but not before pulling me into a hug and kissing my cheek.

Any other day, I probably would have yelled at and slapped him, but I was too preoccupied with the possible intentions of my mentor. I'd just have to deal with Adrian some time later.

I ran up the stairs, suddenly remembering that Viktoria was my roommate. Maybe I could get some answers out of her.

Only I couldn't speak when I stepped through the door.

And I guess I couldn't hear anything either.

I was brought back to reality by a familiar hand placed on my shoulder. "Rose," he sighed, "I've been calling after you for—" He must have noticed that I was staring ahead. I expected him to follow my gaze…and I know he had when his grip on my shoulder tightened considerably.

It took a moment, but his hand disappeared from my shoulder completely and he was storming across the room.

After a few seconds of registering everything, I ran after him and hopped on his back, my arms locked around his neck and my legs locked around his abdomen. My action made him stop walking, but he was prying me off himself.

I tightened my hold around his neck. "Dimitri, _stop_."

"Get off me," he growled in response.

"Dimka!" Viktoria shouted. She had gotten up from her compromising position on her bed. "Please. It's not what it looks like."

All he did was grunt, but I think that was partially because of my position.

"Dimka," Viktoria cried, "please."

He relaxed considerably over the next few minutes. It's not that I didn't trust him—I did—but I couldn't be so sure he wouldn't lose his self-control again. I muttered, "Я тебя люблю." It surprised me at how I hadn't struggled saying it, but with a few days of constant practice, I at least could easily say that Russian phrase easily. I heard Viktoria gasp, but I was focused on what I could see of Dimitri's face. "Promise me that you'll stay calm."

He briefly closed his eyes. "I promise."

I hesitated, but released my holds on him, nonetheless, and hopped to the floor. I then turned to the Moroi that made this all worse than it ever should have been. "It'd probably be best if you leave, Zeklos."

One look at me and then one at Dimitri allowed Jesse to agree and flee the room.

There then was a long, awkward silence between the three of us.

"Do you want me to stay or…" I began.

"I'd feel a lot better if you'd stay," Dimitri replied bluntly.

Within another few minutes, Viktoria was sitting on her bed, I was laying down on mine, and Dimitri, surprisingly, was sprawled out next to me. I didn't question him; I just figured it was his way of trying to calm down without hitting something.

"What were you thinking?" Dimitri asked.

Viktoria just stared at him. "I've gotten to know him."

"I don't want you around him anymore."

"_Why_?"

"He's only taking advantage of you, Viktoria."

"How do you _know _that?"

The question may have been aimed at her brother, but I felt obligated to answer. "Because that's how Jesse Zeklos is. He's made a few rounds with the dhampir girls here." I grimaced. "Unfortunately, I can say that I have a past with him. Once…once…" I spared a look at Dimitri. I had a feeling he was thinking back to the day he caught Jesse and I in a similar situation…Though, I was beginning to push him away, instead of encouraging him. I was going to refer to the day he told me that he had beaten up their father, but I didn't know how that'd work out. "Needless to say, your brother walked in on Jesse and me one day—No, 'walking in' is too subtle a term. More like '_barged_ in.' Anyway…My point is that it's best not to spend any time with Jesse Zeklos. He's been trying to make my life hell ever since and he's on the verge of succeeding."

"I see…" Viktoria said absently.

The bed shifted a little and I glanced over to see Dimitri now sitting up. "Promise me, V."

Viktoria pushed her hair back, eyeing her brother closely. Her face softened from a scowl to a small smile. "Okay."

Dimitri grinned. "Great, well—"

"Just as long as the both of you promise not to be all over each other when I'm around."

I laughed. "I think that's fair."

---------

**A/N: **Hmm, so how about the fluff? ;]

The chapter is supposed to be confusing, for once. Previous chapters may hold some clues.  
Just sayin'.  
And what about the banners I made in my free time? (They're staying on the profile, if you haven't seen them yet)  
Reviews would be fantastic. :]


	19. Chapter 19

_Rose,_

_Meet me at the old watch post at six._

_Love,_

_D._

I scoffed while reading over the note that I woke up to. I was sitting on the porch step and it was a quarter after six.

As far as my knowledge and memory serve, Dimitri was never late.

I was just about to leave when I heard a twig snap. I cautiously stood up.

"It's just me, Rose."

I grumbled incoherently, but sat back down, nonetheless. "You're late," I muttered.

"I know and I'm sorry," Dimitri said as he finally emerged from the tress. "Guardian Petrov called a last minute meeting."

"Really?" Any irritation I felt dissipated. "Any new leads?"

He nodded, sitting down next to me. "As it turns out, Viktoria's situation with Jesse Zeklos was useful. Attraction aside, she said that she was trying to get a few answers out of him about what he knew about when the wards were breached."

It was common knowledge that Jesse was in the group by the wards when the Strigoi got onto campus. He just couldn't bring himself to say anything about it. Or so he said.

"What'd he say?"

"He told her the direction in which the Strigoi had left."

"That's it? He didn't see anything that would have canceled out the magic in the wards?"

He raised an eyebrow. "The only other information he gave was that the students that were gathered by the wards at the time were practicing magic."

"What about those who were carried off?"

"It's been days, Rose," he said, almost wary. "It's highly unlikely that we'll be able to find them now. At least alive."

I sighed and found myself leaning my head on his shoulder. He tensed for a few seconds, but then relaxed and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"I don't understand," I murmured.

"Understand what?" he asked, using his free hand to hold one of mine.

"How Strigoi got on campus."

Dimitri grunted. "There's nothing we can do now."

I truly hated that there was nothing that could be done. Or that that's what everyone was saying. Though, it was probably true. It had been days since the wards had been breached. Days since the student population of St. Vladimir's decreased.

Before I could think to say anything, Dimitri had stood up, making me do so as well, and, instead of ushering me into the cabin like I thought he would, began leading me through the forest.

"Dimitri…"

He, more or less, ignored me. The only sign of acknowledgement of my speaking he had was a very small smile.

I tried to get his attention again. "Dimitri, where are you taking me?"

"Don't be so impatient. If I tell you, it'll take away from your early birthday present."

I stopped walking and gaped at him. "Early birthday present?"

"Yes. An early birthday present." He chuckled, grabbing my hand and practically dragging me behind him for a few seconds before I was able to control my footsteps.

"Can I have any hints as to what it is?"

"You'll see in just a few minutes. Surely you can wait that long."

"And you say you know me?" I snorted with laughter and let go of his hand.

Without any hesitation, he pulled me into a short, awkward embrace, and then tossed me partially over his shoulder. I protested by swinging my arms and legs, but they had little to no effect on him because he just laughed and continued carrying me.

I figured it was a lost cause to fight him after a moment or so. I just relaxed and looked down, smiling. "Y'know, I kind of like the view from here."

"Rose," he warned. I think there was a hint of playfulness in his tone.

"Hey, I'm being honest." My smile grew. "Is it against the rules to tell an instructor he has a nice ass?"

"No more than a student/teacher relationship," he said as he let me down.

I ignored that and began glancing around. "So, my present?"

Dimitri grinned. "Close your eyes."

"Wha—"

"Just do as I say, alright?"

I closed my eyes and attempted to stand there patiently. "Okay, so…"

I felt him turn me around, place his hands over my eyes, and guided me somewhere quite a few yards away.

I could hear rushing water nearby. That's weird.

Dimitri removed his hands from over my eyes and moved them down to either side of my waist. "Open your eyes."

I did as he said and slowly began to take in my surroundings.

The rushing water I had heard came from what I think was a mini-waterfall and flowing into a pond. Directly in front of us was a blanket laid out with a basket and few candles aflame. To top it off, there weren't as many trees, thanks to the pond, and there was a clear view of a starry sky.

It was pretty cliché, but I really appreciated that he took the time to set up a picnic. He brushed by me and gracefully sat down on the blanket, patting the spot next to him. I quickly walked over and sat down with a lot less grace than he had.

"How'd you manage to set this up?" I asked, wrapping my arms around him.

He put his arm around my shoulders again, pulling me closer. "I set it up right before I met you at the cabin."

"What about the meeting?"

"The meeting happened right before I set this up."

"Hmm…"

Dimitri briefly pressed his lips to my forehead. "So, what do you think?"

I glanced around again while thinking it over. "You never have struck me as the overly romantic type, but I must say that I'm impressed."

"Just impressed?"

I shrugged, deciding to tease him. "Yeah. I mean, this happens all the time in movies and—" I cut myself off when he audibly sighed. I frowned and felt a tinge of guilt. "Dimitri—"

He chuckled once again. "Relax, Rose."

I cursed under my breath, but said nothing else.

"If we weren't at the academy, I'd be doing something completely different. But, as you know—"

"We can't take the risk of everyone finding out. Not to mention, there are limited things here for dates."

"Well, yes," he said as he tightened his grip on my shoulder.

I sighed. "I wish it didn't have to be this way. You have no idea how much I crave for everyone to know, not just Lissa, Adrian, and your family."

"Actually, Rose, someone else knows."

I pulled away so that I could get a better look at him. "Who? Please tell me that it's not my mother."

He shook his head. "No, your mother doesn't know. Well, she doesn't as far as I know." He took a deep breath. "Guardian Petrov knows."

I felt my eyes widen. "_What_? How?"

Dimitri took my hands in his. "She guessed. She approached me the other day and asked. I couldn't lie to her."

"Oh hell!" I groaned. "I'm expelled aren't I? Or worse, you're fired!"

He just laughed. "Definitely not. She seemed exceptionally calm about it. Though, she does want us to keep everything under wraps until trials."

I gaped at him. "She doesn't care?"

"Not from what I can tell."

Enthusiastically, I slid my hands out of his and managed to tackle him. We just lay there for a matter of minutes in silence. It was comfortable.

Dimitri brushed some hair out of my face. "What am I going to do with you, Roza?"

"I have a few things in mind." Amusement flashed in his eyes, but he shook his head. My smile faded. "You're saying 'no'."

"I'm not saying 'no'. I'm saying 'not right now.' I think it'd be better if we wait."

Always a gentleman.

"All right, but I will hold you to that." I then glanced over to the basket. "So, what's in the basket?"

He turned his head to look at it. "Dinner. If you'd get up, we can eat."

I grumbled, but rolled off him. He sat up and reached over to grab the basket.

"It's nothing special, but I figured you wouldn't mind," he said as pulled out some plates, pizza, and brownies. My favorites.

I laughed. "I definitely don't mind."

We ate in silence, but, as usual, nothing had to be said between us.

Dinner under the stars on academy grounds wasn't my ideal birthday present, not even my ideal date. But I certainly enjoy the alone time with Dimitri. Away from everyone else. Not facing the gossip temporarily.

Some time later, I sighed in contentment as I lay next to him, looking up at the sky. Our fingers were intertwined. And I was pretty sure the candles were close to dying out. I didn't care though. The moment was perfect and needed to last for eternity.

He must have noticed the candles, though, because he lifted his free arm up to check his watch. "We've been out here for two hours."

"So?" I turned my head to face him. "I'm perfectly fine out here."

"As am I, but someone would come looking for us soon, if we stay." Damn. He was right and there was no point in arguing.

After cleaning up, we began walking back through the forest, hand in hand.

"Thank you," I said randomly.

He squeezed my hand and leaned down to kiss the top of my head. "It was my pleasure."

I started to swing our hands back and forth. "So, is that all I get for my birthday? Or do you have something else for me?"

"As I've said: Be patient. You can wait two more days."

"I take that you do have something else." I smirked.

"Yes, I do. Subject closed."

"So unfair," I muttered.

Dimitri then pulled me even closer and pressed his lips to mine. I quickly responded by wrapping my arms around his neck. There was a small thud and I assumed he had tossed the basket aside when he slid his arms around my waist.

This kiss was one of the rare, lustful ones. One that made my legs weak. One that made me expect an earthquake at any second.

There was a groan somewhere nearby. Reluctantly, I broke the kiss and surveyed the area. "Did you hear something?"

"Yeah," he said, eyebrows furrowing. "Stay here. I'll be right back." He cautiously began walking around the surrounding area. There was another groan and at unimaginable speed, he had his stake at the ready.

Ever impatient, I did my best to follow the direction of the noise.

Truth be told, I was just fed up with the interruptions. How difficult was it for Dimitri and me to not be interrupted just once? That's all I ask. Really.

There was another groan and rustling of leaves. I looked around some more and, eventually, found the source.

"Dimitri," I called.

"Rose?" He sounded further away than I thought he was, but his voice grew louder the more he spoke. "I thought I told you to stay where you were. Where are you?"

"Over here…" I took another few steps forward and couldn't stifle a gasp.

"Why can't you ever listen? I told you to stay put for your safety, not—" He stopped chastising me as he stepped next to me. He quickly put up his stake and took out his phone. He began reporting the scene.

I went to take another step forward, but Dimitri grabbed my hand and held me back. I looked back at him, only to see that he was shaking his head.

"Alberta wants us to stay here until she and a few other guardians arrive. And, as awful as it may seem, we can't disturb him until we're sure he doesn't have a concussion or anything along those lines."

I scoffed. Of course we couldn't do anything. We never could. I then looked back down at who we were referring to.

Aaron. Lissa's ex-boyfriend.

---

**A/N: **Don't hurt me. o_o

I've been extremely busy since my last update and I just haven't had much inspiration for this. I've been thriving to start writing the sequel, but, clearly, I have to finish this one first. And there should only be a few more chapters after this one too.

Review, yes? :]


	20. Chapter 20

Aaron? Why on earth was he—? Then it hit me.

Aaron was one of the students that had been carried away by Strigoi. It'd been quite a few days since then, too. Aaron is Moroi and, to my knowledge, doesn't know defensive magic. I didn't even know what element he specialized in. It was nothing short of a miracle that he had escaped the grasp of a Strigoi. Let alone an entire group of them. How Aaron was alive was beyond me. He looked absolutely awful. He had several gashes and bruises. By the looks of it, he was also unconscious.

I frowned at his unmoving form. He was a good person and didn't deserve this. As cruel as it seems, Jesse and Ralf needed to be carried off. They seemed to be the leaders of whatever the group that met by the borders that night.

"Miss Hathaway, what are you doing here?"

I broke out of my trance and turned in the direction of the voice. There stood Alberta, glaring at me. I guess she wanted to be the first to arrive, which would make sense. She is head of the guardians, after all.

Before I could answer, she continued, "Better yet, I don't want to know."

I felt my cheeks heat up. Dimitri, who was still standing next to me, let out a fake cough. "Sorry, Guardian Petrov. Rose and I—"

"I said that I don't want to know. It's between the two of you." She raised an eyebrow. "If the other guardians are curious, however, make up a story. They still don't know the truth about you as couple."

I felt like I was about to twitch. Dimitri had been serious about Alberta being calm about it all. I had expected her to yell and send me to Kirova's office the instant she found out. I'd be expelled. Dimitri would be fired. The typical Rose Hathaway luck when something good happens in my life.

I smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you."

She nodded in response, but I could have sworn that I saw a ghost of a smile before the other guardians arrived and tore her attention away from us.

Dimitri told me to stay put and, this time, if I didn't listen, he'd make our training sessions an hour earlier for a week…I was highly tempted to move since that would mean an extra hour with him for an entire week, but I decided against it. I didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of his lectures.

"What's she doing here?" one of the approaching guardians—Yuri, I think—questioned.

I felt dumb then. Not in the terms of intelligence, but I was incapable of speech for the time being. Hopeful, I looked over at Dimitri. He curtly nodded and flawlessly made up an excuse. "I happened to be giving Rose a lesson on what to look for if wards are breached. She may have been at the Badica house and discovered the stake that broke the house's wards, but there was snow on the ground then."

"I wonder how he got back," Stan said as he slowly circled Aaron's motionless body.

"The wards have been put up more often ever since the breach," Yuri commented. "Patrol along the wards has increased maybe tenfold since then as well."

"It is possible that Aaron got on grounds by himself," I muttered.

"What was that, Miss Hathaway?" Stan asked, glaring at me. Yeah, real professional.

I shrugged. "I said that it's possible that he got back by himself. As in he was able to get away. It's highly unlikely, but still possible."

"I highly doubt that a defenseless Moroi was able to escape a group of Strigoi."

I really was not in the mood to deal with Stan's snarky remarks. I scoffed. "How do we know he hasn't learned any defensive magic? Or took advantage of the sun being up? Better yet, why don't we wait until he can explain what happened instead of just assuming? Plus, security has increased, right? And St. Vladimir's has some of the world's best guardians. It doesn't sound like a Strigoi was involved."

Stan's eyes narrowed.

Alberta's gaze was approving. "I agree. Let's wait until he wakes up and is ready to discuss this. Assuming will get us nowhere. We need facts. Though, Miss Hathaway does make plenty sense." For the second time that day, I felt grateful towards Alberta. She continued, "Now, Alto, Yuri, get this young man to the infirmary."

The two did as she said and cautiously began walking toward the infirmary. We stood in silence until they were out of hearing distance.

"I still don't want to know what you two were up to before this, but it is best if you two keep your relationship a secret until trials. Or, at the very least, keep public displays of affection to a minimum and only admit it if someone asks you about it directly. We don't need to deal with any of that on top of the breach and missing students." Alberta shook her head. "It's not often that dhampirs find love in their own kind, let alone guardians. I do believe you two are a rare exception and will last. You two are good for each other. I just wish you luck when you decide to tell Janine."

"Don't remind me. That's not a conversation that I'm looking forward to," Dimitri said.

"I would imagine not. Janine may be one of the best guardians, but even she has lapses of self-control." Her eyes flickered to me for a moment. "I must be going, though. I trust that it is possible for you to make it back to the dorms before curfew." She then laughed, turned on her heel, and left.

I stood there, gaping at her retreating figure.

Some time later, Dimitri had grabbed my hand and, once again, was dragging me behind him. I quickly shook my head and was able to control my footing enough to walk right behind him.

My mind was still racing. From my early present to Aaron to Alberta knowing…Random chaos I say. And to add to it all, we still had to tell my mother. "So, when do you think we should tell my mom?"

"I don't know," he said as he ducked under a tree branch. "I think we'd know when the time is right."

"Are you afraid of her?"

"Possibly," he muttered, glaring at the ground as he did.

I giggled. "So, you kill Strigoi for a living, but you're afraid of my mother? What sense does that make?"

"You haven't seen her in combat, have you?"

"No, but I have sparred with her. Remember? The big black eye while we were at the ski lodge?"

"Are you still complaining about that? She didn't mean to hurt you."

"I wasn't complaining until you brought it up. Blows above the neck are prohibited. Clearly, she broke that rule."

"Rosemarie," he sighed. "She's your mother and, from what I can tell, she's trying to have some type of relationship with you. The least you could do is not dwell on the past."

As if he was one to talk about that. Of course, I wasn't about to bring up his bastard of a father. It was a low blow and I had no idea how he'd even react. So, I just let him continue his rant about how I should be more grateful toward Janine Hathaway. I understood where he was coming from, but the past was enough for me to feel almost indifferent toward my mother. She left me to be raised by the academy; she never put effort into keeping in contact with me. She only visited the academy when her Moroi would. A caring mother is not much for a daughter to ask, right?

Olena Belikov came to mind then and I couldn't help but be envious of Dimitri and Viktoria. They had a mother who was actually part of their childhood and made effort to contact them. She flew to the complete other side of the globe—or something like that—to see her son.

I almost felt that we shouldn't even tell my mom. But, I think that, despite his fear, having her know was important to Dimitri. The thought alone was enough for me to accept that she had to know.

"Maybe we should tell her tomorrow?" I suggested.

He stopped walking and turned me so that we were facing each other. "Why tomorrow?"

"I think that's when Lord Szelsky is leaving. I'm not sure since I overheard it in the cafeteria yesterday, but he's probably not wanting to risk being around for any more breaches or attacks. And you know my mom…Wherever her charge goes, she goes."

He raised an eyebrow. "So, just when she's about to leave?"

I shrugged. "Why not? If we tell her just as she's about to board the plane, she shouldn't have enough time to react. She can think about it during the flight. If she cares enough, she'll call when she gets back home."

"I'm sure that will be a soothing phone call," he said, frowning.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. It has to be better than how she'd react in person, right?"

The corners of his mouth turned upward as he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. He pulled away before I could react and rested his forehead against mine. "As cruel as that sounds, it probably is the best solution."

"I'm glad you see things my way." I grinned. Even with everything that was going on, my only concern at the moment was him.

He briefly closed his eyes. "Rose, Guardian Petrov wants you in your dorm building before curfew. Please don't tempt me."

Figures. But I had a plan up my sleeve. It usually worked.

"Could you at least escort me back to my room? Just in case it is actually past curfew?" And this time was no exception. I couldn't help but smirk.

He sighed in defeat. "Fine, but that's all. If you try anything, so help me. I will still make your morning training start an hour earlier. Your evening training will be until I see fit."

I began gnawing on the inside of my cheek to hold back my laughter.

Dimitri eyed me warily, but started walking again. This time he refused to even hold my hand.

We entered the dhampir dorm building a few moments later, receiving a few amused looks from many of those who were hanging out in the sitting area. Sure, the rumors had died down, but they were still going around the school.

Oddly, the more I saw someone lean toward another to whisper something, I longed for the day where I didn't have to be in a secret relationship anymore. Longed for Dimitri and my relationship to be accepted. Longed for no one to just assume right and have to be told a lie. Longed to show some public displays of affection.

I let out a sigh. Dimitri glanced over his shoulder, frowning. "Are you alright?"

I shrugged. "As okay as I can be."

His frown deepened, but he continued the rest of the way up the stairs in silence. He just stood patiently outside my room while I hunted for my key. I pat all four pockets of my jeans, nonchalantly felt my breasts in the case that I stashed them in my bra…That damn key was nowhere to be found.

"Can you not find it?" Dimitri asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Obviously not, which is weird. I mean, as irresponsible as I may be at times, I always have my key. Either I left it somewhere in my room or it's lost forever in the forest."

"And no spare?"

"Not anymore. I gave my spare to Viktoria when she transferred. The Moroi in charge of dorm assignments hasn't gotten around to make another one just in case."

He shook his head as he reached into a pocket in his duster and pulled out a set of keys. Purposely, I'm sure, he took his time finding the right key.

As soon as he unlocked the door, my hand zoomed toward the handle and I rushed in. He probably would have held the door shut until he was finished with a lecture on responsibility and stuff like that. I'd much rather hear that while I was comfortable.

The chances of blocking him out were a lot better in that case.

"Are you not going to look for your key?" Dimitri asked as he took in my sprawled out form on my unmade bed.

"Not at the moment," I replied, searching the ceiling for any random patterns in its texture like I did when I was little. The bed shifted, however, and I tore my gaze away to see that Dimitri was sitting on the edge of the bed. "What are you doing?"

"I thought I'd stay for a little while."

"Why?"

He tilted his head to the side. "Why not? I don't have patrol tonight."

"You don't?"

"No."

That was odd. With what has happened recently, I was sure they would have as many guardians as possible patrolling and no one would have days off. "Hmm…"

One eyebrow rose. "Would you rather I left?"

"Of course not," I replied with a frown. "I'm just surprised is all."

"Surprised?"

I tried to shrug, but lying down really prevented me from doing so. "Yeah. I thought you wouldn't have a day off, with all that's happened recently."

"I traded shifts with another guardian earlier in the day so that I could spend some time with you tonight. I'm doing the same on your birthday."

"That's not really—" Who was I kidding? I was ecstatic that he would do that. Ecstatic to the point where I sat up, wrapped my arms around his neck, and pulled him down with me. He stiffened and glanced toward the door. I laughed. "Relax, comrade. Alberta okayed us, right? And Viktoria already knows. We don't have to worry about anyone barging in, other than your sister."

"I'm only being cautious." Dimitri turned his attention back to me and he moved one hand up to stroke my cheek. "We don't want further interruptions, do we?"

I grinned, beginning to play with his ponytail. "Of course not."

He smiled a small smile as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. We lied there for who knows how long, our lips moving in sync, our hands roaming each other's bodies. Somehow, I managed to unbutton his shirt and toss it somewhere in the room in the midst of it all.

Eventually, I broke away, with great reluctance, to catch my breath. Dimitri decided to trail butterfly kisses along my jaw and down my neck. In response, I wrapped my legs around his waist the best I could and pulled him even closer than he already was. He continued kissing up my neck, then along my jaw again.

I glanced down, suddenly irritated with how much of a burden clothing could be. So, I unbuttoned his pants, and then slowly started to lower the zipper. He mumbled something right before his teeth grazed my ear. A shiver traveled up my spine.

Just as I was about to force his lips back on mine, there was a faint glow in my peripheral vision. I turned my head to get a better look at what the glow's source was… My eyes widened when they landed on the translucent figure of Mason hovering nearby. Like the other times, he was sad, but, this time, the heartbreak was evident in his features.

I felt a tinge of guilt and tried to force Dimitri away. He just carried on with even more light kisses. I sighed. "Dimitri, Mason's…" I shuddered again as I felt his mouth open a little against my skin, "…in…here."

He sighed. "Leave it alone, Roza. He'll leave eventually." And then, shocking me even further, I felt his tongue among the kisses.

Damn, why did something always interrupt us? Especially twice in the same couple hours? It's like no one wanted me to be happy.

Through the lusty haze caused by my lover, I vaguely noticed Mason scowl. I had a feeling that, if he were still alive and saw Dimitri and me in the positions we were in at the moment, he'd probably attack. As cruel as it seems, relief rushed through me that he wasn't able to do such a thing.

Mason raised him arm and pointed out the window. Confused, I tried to see what he was pointing at exactly, but I really couldn't see passed the Russian that happened to be lying on top of me. I wanted to ask Mason what he was trying to say, but he faded away before I could ask.

Another question lingered in my mind. Why couldn't Dimitri have been like this at some other time? He was too much of a distraction for me to even comprehend why Mason showed up when he did.

Pushing any worry aside, I managed to bring Dimitri's lips back to mine.

This time, his phone started ringing. He pulled away and tried to get up. Only I tightened my legs around his waist. "No interruptions, remember?"

His eyes flickered between me and his phone a few times. The desire he had was evident, but he reached behind his back anyway and broke the hold I had on him. He then climbed off the bed and over to the desk, where his phone was.

I groaned and sat up, glaring at him as he answered the call. My face fell, however, when his eyes widened. I slid out of bed, quickly making my way over to him.

Dimitri soon shut his phone and practically growled. He looked at me before going to find his shirt and his pants that he kicked off some time in the middle of our little make out session. "Straighten up," he ordered as he into the legs of his pants.

Bewildered, I gaped at him. "What's going on?"

"That call was from Guardian Petrov," he explained. "She said that the wards were breached again. Only this time, we're under attack and there are plenty more than just three."

"Wh—under attack? How did they get in this time?"

"They had humans stake various spots along the perimeter." He sighed. "I need to go out and help."

We stayed silent until he ushered me into one of the lounges downstairs.

He reached inside his duster and pulled out a stake. "Take this and stay alert."

I felt my eyebrows furrow out of confusion, but then I looked around and saw that Lissa, Christian, Adrian, and Eddie were all staring at us expectantly. I looked back up at him. "I want to help fight."

"I know, Rose." He snaked an arm around my waist, pulling me close. "I want you to stay safe for as long as possible…_And _this building needs to be as guarded as the others. You're one of the best novices, along with Eddie," he added the last part as he looked over at the others. "If a Strigoi manages to get inside, do your best to stake them."

I wanted to know why he had a second stake. I wanted to go out and help fight. I also wanted him to stay and hold me until all the troubles were over. I just couldn't bring myself to even utter a word. I simply nodded.

Dimitri pressed his lips to my forehead. Then he let me go and ran out the door.

I stared at the, now, closed door. I wasn't sure if I'd seen him alive again. If he'd touch me, hold me, kiss me…ever again. Despite how much I wanted to run after him, I couldn't deny a direct order.

Eddie and I discussed a strategy. He stood watch by the door while I was by the window.

I did my best to keep a calm exterior, but on the inside, I was shaking with fear.

---

**A/N: **Hmmph, I'm skeptical about this. I've had the idea in my head for a while, but I just couldn't get any of the proper wording. So, I apologize for anything that doesn't make much sense.  
Anyway, reviews would be fantastic. :]  
Oh, and I suddenly have had so many story ideas come to me lately. I've started a rough draft of one of them. Hopefully I'll have that ready within the next couple weeks.


	21. Chapter 21

Time went on.

With each slow, agonizing moment, I grew more and more anxious. As far as I could tell, the Strigoi hadn't even been near the dhampir dorms. I was relieved that my closest friends weren't in immediate danger. Yet, at the same time, I was worried that Dimitri could be hurt, carried away…dead, turned…I shuddered at the thought. I refused to believe anything was wrong. He was one of the best guardians in the world. There was no way he could mess up enough for anything too bad to happen.

_Rose, he'll be fine,_ Lissa said through the bond. I looked at her and smiled sadly. She shook her head. _He's one of the best. He'll make it._

"No need to worry, little dhampir," Adrian said—almost bitterly—from the couch. "Your lover will still be alive when all of this is over."

I was wishing I could just punch him and not get any heat from the queen about it. He really did not have to broadcast the lover statement to the world, especially since I hadn't told Christian or Eddie…but with the display we made just before he left, the cat was pretty much out of the bag. So much for keeping the relationship a secret.

"Y'know, I'm not too surprised," Christian stated out of the blue. "I've had my suspicions ever since Aunt Tasha was here." I was curious as to how he even picked up on that when Dimitri and I were fighting the entire time Tasha Ozera was at the academy and at the ski lodge. He let out a laugh. "Especially when we were on the plane back from Spokane. It should have been obvious to me then since the way he looked at you was a far cry from how a mentor should look at his student. How I didn't catch on right then is a miracle."

"And you really haven't dated since we were brought back," Lissa said. "And just how you two act around each other in general...It should have been the most obvious thing in the world for me to see." She sighed and added in her head, _Some best friend I am. _I could argue that statement, what with her bringing me back from the dead, but it's a conversation for another time.

I frowned. Dimitri and I weren't that obvious, were we? Yeah, lately we've been spending more time together and taking a lot of risks, but I was sure that no one had seen.

"Relax, Hathaway," Christian snorted. "Your secret's safe with us."

"And Alberta," I mumbled.

"How does Guardian Petrov know?" Lissa asked, frowning.

I shrugged. "Beats me. Dimitri said that she figured it out and asked him. He couldn't exactly lie to her."

"How'd she take it?" Adrian questioned. His tone was hopeful.

"Surprisingly well," I replied and watched as his face fell. "We actually spoke about it after Alto and Yuri took Aaron to the infirmary. They don't know and I think she's permitting us to let who we want to know, know first. We just have to keep PDA to a minimum until trials."

Adrian muttered something else, but, even with my enhanced dhampir senses, I couldn't hear him. Eddie, on the other side of the room, chuckled. I glared at him.

However, before I could make a comment, someone screamed from inside the dorm building. Eddie and I exchanged glances. Some type of silent agreement passed between the two of us. We quickly ushered Adrian, Lissa, and Christian to the one corner that was secure enough for them to stay out of harm's way, should a Strigoi get into the lounge.

Only nothing happened.

"That's weird," I muttered, approaching the door slowly. I crouched down and looked out the keyhole. From what I could see, no one was in the main lounge of the dhampir dorms. That was even weirder. "No one's out there."

"Are you sure?" Eddie asked, placing his hand on my shoulder and pulling me back to look out the keyhole. A moment later he stepped back, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I wonder where everyone is…"

"I'm going to scout the building," Eddie said, reaching out his hand to open the door.

I smacked his hand away from the door handle. "How about you don't?" How I was able to take control at that moment was beyond me, but I stuck with it. "We were given orders to stay here and protect the Moroi. _Direct _orders, Castile."

Eddie took a step back. "For all we know, everyone that was out there is Strigoi now."

"If they were, they saw us, or at least they saw me come in here. They'd attack us in a matter of minutes." I scowled. "If you hear anything—"

There was a loud crash on the other side of the room. I turned around quickly to see the window shattered and a few Strigoi starting to climb through. I glanced over at the three Moroi and relief washed over me to see that they had a plan by having Christian, a fire user, in front. I just hoped that he didn't have to use his magic at all.

"On three, Rose?" Eddie asked somewhere off to my left. I muttered a 'yes' and Eddie slowly began to count. "One…"

_To whoever is listening_, I said in my head, _please just let everyone I care about out of this alive. I'll do anything to keep them all safe._

"Two…"

_Almost anything, that is. There are some things that would be way too much, _I added. _It may not seem like it at times, but I do have some dignity._

"Three!"

I drew a deep breath and blindly charged. I knew that I was one of the best, but that didn't take away from the paranoia I felt at the moment. I had already failed once at protecting someone I cared about. Who's to say I wouldn't do it again?

And then I imagined Dimitri's face when he was bringing me out of the haze at the house in Spokane. If my memory served correctly, Dimitri had been heartbroken to see me in whatever state I was in. I didn't want to cause that reaction again—or cause one that was even worse. I briefly thought about Lissa, Adrian, Christian, Eddie, and my mom; I'd chastise myself later for barely acknowledging them.

I managed to stake one Strigoi within a few minutes. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he had been recently turned and, more than likely, human beforehand. His fighting technique was sloppy and didn't even bother to shield his chest.

Another Strigoi slithered through the broken window and had begun advancing on the three Moroi in the room. I shuffled in front of him, cutting him off. My grip on the stake tightened to the point where I was sure that, if I looked down, my knuckles would be white.

Is it sad to say that I was pretty disappointed when I realized that the Strigoi I was fighting proved himself to have been recently turned? He was still a pain in the ass to fight—he was probably dhampir before he was turned—but I kind of crazed more of a challenge.

As in a challenge that didn't mutter threats instead of continuously attacking.

"… Looks like we've got an ickle pretty one here," he said in a British accent, his eyes scanning over my body. "It's such a shame that your beauty has to go to waste…"

I stifled a laugh. It was more a shame that he was just standing there.

He continued speaking, "Actually, I'll give you an ultimatum." He grinned mischievously. "I'll let your four little friends go if you choose to join me and be Awakened. "

I was vaguely aware of the silence that surrounded us in the room and I assumed Eddie had finished off the Strigoi he had been fighting. Other than that, I was highly considering the offer. I honestly despised the idea of being Strigoi, but if it saved the ones I loved, then it would be worth losing my soul and all sense that came with it. I opened my mouth to speak. I just didn't get the chance..

The Strigoi groaned in agony and crumpled to the ground. I watched his body twitch until he was completely motionless. I blinked, and then looked up.

There, in all his glory, stood Dimitri. His eyes blazed with hatred as he glared at the Strigoi he had just killed. I resisted the temptation to jump into his arms and stay there for the rest of my life just so I knew nothing was wrong.

After a moment or so of the tense silence, Dimitri scanned everyone for any damage, and then he observed the two Strigoi Eddie had taken down and the one I had taken down. His face softened for the slightest second before that guardian mask of his fell back into place and he turned to Eddie. "Would you mind escorting these three—" he gestured to Lissa, Adrian, and Christian "—to the academy's chapel?"

Eddie nodded. "Of course, Guardian Belikov."

I started to follow them, but Dimitri caught me by my arm, forcing me to stop. "I'd like to speak to you if you don't mind."

"But—" I glanced in the direction of everyone else. I was surprised that Dimitri was wanting to speak in the middle of an invasion and risk only having one guardian protecting three Moroi—three _royal _Moroi.

"Don't be so uptight, Rosie," Christian exclaimed, doing his best to keep the tension light. "If all else fails, I'll turn the bastards into ashes." I pursed my lips, not only at the thought of Christian possibly having to use his magic but also at the monster grip Dimitri suddenly had on my arm. Christian rolled his eyes. "I said 'if all else fails'. Or if I get the okay. It's highly unlikely since Eddie will be with us."

Christian didn't give either Dimitri or me a chance to reply. He hopped through the window frame, joining the other three. Their silhouettes got smaller and smaller as they were getting closer to safety in the chapel.

I let out a sigh. "Not that I don't mind being alone with you, but is now really the time for a chat?"

"It's not," he replied.

"Then why—?"

Before I could finish, he pulled me close and crashed his lips to mine.

I don't know how long we kissed, but it was long enough for the both of us to lose our breath. It wasn't enough time to calm my nerves. When we broke apart, I clenched the fabric of his shirt in my fists. He rested his head on my shoulder and nuzzled my neck.

"You'd rather become Strigoi than to allow any harm to your friends. You're too selfless for your own good," he breathed, his breath hot against my skin. "It's one of many qualities I love about you."

I let out a strangled laugh. "To be honest, I think he was in the process of compelling me into allowing him to bite me. If you got here just seconds later, I'm pretty sure I would have let him." I felt Dimitri stiffen. I buried my face in his chest, not wanting to let him see me in such a vulnerable state. I knew that compulsion rarely, if ever, worked on dhampirs, but a Strigoi's compulsion is probably the strongest there is, stronger than a Spirit user's compulsion even. Who's to say dhampirs are immune to that too? I sighed, "Not that I wouldn't do practically anything to save anyone, but I'm extremely thankful you showed up and stopped him."

His arms wound around my waist. "So am I. I have no idea what I would do if he had even gotten close enough to bite you, let alone turn you."

We stood in silence for a couple more moments, completely oblivious to the world around us. For once, we were just a normal couple embracing each other. If it had been up to me, we would have stayed that way for eternity. Happily in the arms of the man I loved for all eternity. Cliché, yes, and I used to laugh at movies and books where the protagonist said things like that, but now that I know what it's like, the idea was probably the best.

But of course there were Strigoi still on campus. We were happily reminded of them when there was a distant scream.

Dimitri pulled away, slowly but surely going back into guardian mode. "You need to get to the chapel."

I frowned. "Why? I'm as good as any guardian out there fighting and you, _of all people_, know that! I want to help and kill those bastards."

"Rose…" He sighed as he looked out the shattered window. His mouth fell into a thin line. I'm sure that he realized that he'd be fighting a lost battle if he argued. "Either go to the chapel or don't leave my sight. Those are the only two ways I'll know you're safe." Of course there was an ultimatum; one that I'm sure was testing my role as his student versus my role as his lover.

For the slightest of seconds I felt like a child. But he was only being fair and he was concerned. Concerned for me. That was enough for me to not put up a fight. And being near Dimitri wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Being able to see him would keep a load off my mind. Despite the ultimatum, I'm sure he was aware that I would go and fight no matter what.

"Thank you!" I grinned, hugging him again.

We stood there, embracing each other for a few moments longer than necessary as if this would be the last time we'd be alone together. He, as usual, was the first to pull away. Given the circumstances, though, I decided not to argue.

Without another word, we made our way out of the building. Through the window I might add. I didn't ask why, but I was pretty sure this would be the way to attract less attention. That's to say if I knew anything about Dimitri.

And let's face it, I knew Dimitri almost as well as he knew himself, sometimes even better than he knew himself. In fact, he could probably say the same about me. It was just one of those things that gave me no doubts. Of course, it was occasionally frustrating to know him so well when he fell into his mentor role. I almost always knew what he was going to say beforehand, and I'd tune him out…if I actually wanted to run extra laps.

I shook my head, quickly bringing myself back to reality. It really was not the time for one of my daydreams.

I took in my surroundings. Dimitri was cautiously looking around a corner of the dhampir dorm building. I stopped behind him and did my best to peer over his shoulder, which was a feat when considering our noticeable height difference and trying to remain quiet.

The battle raged on. Guardian, novices, and Strigoi alike were fighting. Every few minutes one would go down or stagger, but they were far enough away to where I couldn't really tell whose side had the numbers advantage at that given moment. Dimitri was now crouching, ready to fight. I had never personally seen Dimitri fight in battle other than when he saved me from Natalie, Victor Dashkov's daughter who turned Strigoi, but I wasn't exactly coherent then and I only liked remembering select moments from that day. So one could only imagine how much I wanted to see him flawlessly take down Strigoi. Though, admittedly, it could be a bias when mentioning he's my illicit mentor-turned-lover. Unfortunately I couldn't stand by and simply watch him fight; it was my duty to fight alongside him. My hormones would have to get the best of me later.

As I brought myself to reality, a wave of nausea hit me. I wasn't sure how long I'd been feeling that way, but I didn't care. I clenched a sleeve of Dimitri's shirt as nearly doubled over at the ill feeling. He stood straight up and turned to face me. "What's wrong?"

Let's see…Strigoi are attacking the school, my best friend is worrying about me, I suddenly don't feel well…There were many answers to his question and it was absolutely _fantastic _to know that I had enough sarcasm when the situation didn't call for it. I sighed, "I'm suddenly nauseous."

His face hardened. "Get to the church. If any of them come after you—"

"Are you insane?" I snapped. "You all need as much help as you can get! If my arm was amputated I'd still fight!"

He pursed his lips, allowing his emotions get the better of him. "Rose—"

Though his expressing himself didn't stop me from being irritated about what I'm sure he was about to argue. I scoffed. "If I feel any worse I'll make a break for the church. Should a Strigoi try to attack me, I'll do my best to get away."

His eyes narrowed. I was sure he doubted that I was telling the truth, but what choice did he have? "Fine, but at the first sign of feeling worse, go to the church. I'll try to explain to Guardian Petrov later if that happens." He leaned his forehead against mine. "I love you."

I took advantage of our faces' close proximity and kissed him once more. Neither of us tried to prolong the kiss. I pulled away after a few seconds and smiled. "You can take that as 'I love you, too.'" He rolled his eyes with a chuckle.

Dimitri then went back to looking around the corner. I stood back this time, fighting the disgusting feeling in my stomach. His voice came at me in a whisper, "Be ready on three." He paused. "One…"

Déjà vu. Didn't I just go through something similar to this with Eddie?

"Two…"

Heaving a heavy sigh, I got into a readying position to run.

"Three!"

Without another word, we both ran to join the battle. Instinctively, I joined Alberta. She was facing three Strigoi at the moment, and she was the first one I saw who could use some help. As expected one turned their attention to me.

The Strigoi, a female I quickly noticed, threw a punch at lightning fast speed. I managed to dodge most of it, but her punch still clipped my shoulder. It wasn't painful, per se, but it wasn't pleasant either. Plus, I had had much worse in the past and I'd be feeling and seeing worse injuries than a bruised shoulder that night.

Nevertheless, I grimaced and aimed a punch of my own, only for it to be blocked. She tightly gripped my arm, disabling me from any movement of my own, and then kicked my legs out from under me. I landed painfully on the ground. Before I could roll out of the way, the Strigoi was on me. I instantly shielded my neck when she bared her fangs.

She kept trying to pin me down, but I continuously fought against her. I'll be damned if I go down while facing only my first—or technically third—Strigoi of the night. She aimed another punch, this time at my face. I moved my head to the side, barely avoiding her fist, but it was enough for her to stumble. I took my chance and turned us over. Her expression read surprise. I'm sure I was grinning from ear-to-ear. I tightened my hold on my stake and forced it in her chest, carefully avoiding her ribs and piercing her heart. I flinched at her wailing, but I kept hold of the stake until she lie motionless.

Once I pulled the stake out and wiped it off on the Strigoi's shirt, I got to my feet and saw Alberta had just finished off the second of the two Strigoi. She saw me and nodded as if to say thanks. I nodded in return and then began scanning the area. There were still plenty fighting, but I noticed one person in particular. Dimitri was absolutely flawless and fought with such grace that left me almost breathless.

I shook my head as if to clear it. It was not the time to ogle at my mentor. There would be time for that later. For now, I needed to focus on killing Strigoi.

And that's what I did. For what seemed like hours I did the job that I had been trained my entire life to do. Whether it was only a few or numerous Strigoi I had defeated, I didn't know. I honestly lost count. All I knew was that I was kicking ass.

To be perfectly honest, I felt like I was about to collapse. Yeah, I had the training and some experience, but even I had my limits. After I ripped the stake back out of one's chest, I bent over, resting my hands on my knees. My breathing was heavy and I felt soaked with sweat.

Someone was shouting at me to focus again. I straightened up in response. Just as I was about to turn around, however, there was an impact in my side. It'd be remarkable if I didn't have a broken rib or two. Unfortunately, when I hit the ground I lost hold of my stake. I was sure I'd be dead any second without a weapon. Still I tried to fight the Strigoi off me. It certainly wasn't an easy task, but I managed to surprise him long enough with an elbow delivered to the side of his face and grasp the stake again. As soon as I had a firm grip on the stake the Strigoi had me pinned to the ground and my head snapped back from the impact. He bared his fangs as he lowered his mouth to my neck. I was temporarily incapable of movement and I expected the brief, piercing pain of a bite. Only it never happened. In fact I felt all the Strigoi's weight lifted off me. I hastily—and unwisely, may I add—sat up to see what had happened. I was grateful and surprised to see the Strigoi aflame.

"I wish I could do this all day, but it's rather exhausting. Some help would be fantastic," Christian's voice ran. When he got there and why he left the church was beyond me, but I'd save the questions for later. At the moment I really had to keep him from being killed.

I climbed to my feet and approached the flaming Strigoi. With him being covered in flames not only was it an advantage that they were distracted, but also it was a disadvantage since I'd have to prevent being burnt and it would be difficult to find a way to get to the heart properly. After a few seconds, though, I found a spot and drove the stake through the Strigoi's chest. His strangled scream was absolutely horrible. Worse than when just piercing the heart alone.

This time when I got my stake out I turned to glare at Christian. "Why the hell are you here? You're supposed to be in the church with Lissa and Adrian…And Eddie."

"You're welcome," he muttered sarcastically.

I groaned. "Really, Christian! Why did you come out here? I could have handled him—" I pointed at the now-officially-dead Strigoi "—without your help."

He rolled his eyes. "Like you were doing just fine a minute ago." He scowled. "If I hadn't shown up you'd be dead by now. So stop worrying why I'm out here for now. When this is all done and over with I'll tell you. For now let me help you kick some Strigoi ass."

I wanted to protest, but I really had no choice. Christian was just as stubborn as me and he'd find a way to help fight. Plus, if I sent him back to the church there's no telling what would happen to him on the way. At least if he stayed I'd be able to keep an eye on him. _They come first _after all. I nodded my agreement and we set off.

So I'd lost count when I was killing before. But now with Christian's help I had a feeling I'd killed just as many, if not more. He'd set one on fire, and then I'd strike. As time went on I knew he was getting more and more exhausted, so I told—no, _ordered_—him to cut back on the magic. A miniscule amount of fire was enough to distract a Strigoi anyway. This went on for a little while longer. We were both ready to attack, but no Strigoi approached. Not that I blamed them. If there was one thing, other than magic-induced silver, that a Strigoi feared, it was fire. But still, their disappearance was rather odd. I turned around in a circle to survey the surroundings; I only saw dead bodies and guardians inspecting the damage.

"That's weird," I muttered.

"What's weird?" Christian asked.

"There aren't any Strigoi around."

"That's because they fled," a new voice came from behind me. "It's nearly sunrise."

The familiar aftershave's scent swirled around me. I quickly turned around and was face-to-face with the man I love. I flung myself at him, winding my arms around and his neck and leaning my head against his chest. Whether the uninformed eye saw I didn't know and, quite frankly, I didn't care. I was just relieved Dimitri was alive.

He pushed me back a few seconds later, leaving his hands on my shoulders. He looked me up and down a few times, though I was sure only once or twice was to see if I was injured. His eyes glazed over compassion when he smiled. I did too.

Our unspoken conversation was interrupted by a stern cough from Christian. "If you two are done mentally undressing each other I'd find it terrific if you could help me find Lissa."

I tore my gaze away from Dimitri and glared at Christian. I swear he was lucky it was only us three around because I'm sure his comment would have earned him some sort of punishment. As much as I wanted to see Christian get in trouble, I wanted him to get out of the way so I could have a moment with my lover. So, I decided to check the bond. "She's perfectly fine. In fact she's with Adrian in the chapel right now. You can go see her as soon as you tell me why you left the church in the first place."

"Since when are you so motherly?" His eyebrows rose in a mocking manner. When I didn't reply, he sighed and continued, "I wanted to help. I couldn't just sit back and do nothing while knowing that I can do something to get the job done. I'd rather risk my life trying to help than doing nothing at all."

"That doesn't take away from the fact that—"

"I could have been killed—or worse. _I know_. But that didn't happen, now did it? And like I told you earlier, you'd probably be dead right now if it weren't for me."

I stared at him as I processed his simple words. Words that were the absolute truth. I smiled at him. "You're right. Thank you."

He already had his mouth open, ready for a comeback, but I guess his mind registered what I said. He gaped at me for a moment. Not that I could blame him. Had it not been for the given circumstances, I would have gaped at him when he set the Strigoi on fire. Christian eventually came around and he smirked his trademark smirk. "I still hate you, you know."

I grinned. "Of course."

He left after that. If it hadn't been for the still-strong scent of his aftershave, I would have thought Dimitri had quietly dismissed himself. I turned back to face him, but my face fell when I saw his stoic expression.

With a sigh I asked, "What's going to happen now?"

"I'm not sure." He coolly raised an eyebrow. "The guardians should be holding a meeting in a few hours to share statistics."

I frowned. "And you're telling me this why?"

"I thought you'd want to attend, especially since a large percentage of the kills today are yours. And I'm sure they want to discuss Christian's role." His face softened a little. "Until then you should probably relax."

I couldn't help myself. "What about you?"

"If they don't need me for anything I'll find you. How does that sound?"

"Cruel but fair." I grimaced.

He chuckled. "It's great that you understand despite how much you want to complain."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I just want to spend more time with you."

"I know, but it's my job. I need to take care of that first." He smiled. "If it makes you feel any better I'm proud of you. Immensely proud. I would have watched you fight if I could have."

Funny, I felt the same way. "Yeah, well, I have a pretty awesome instructor."

"Probably the best?"

"Don't get too cocky," I teased.

"Never," he said with a stoic face, but the amusement in his eyes was obvious.

With everything that had just happened, I was surprised at how at ease Dimitri was. And I was sure that he'd be back to keeping me at arm's length after our escapade just before the attack and the attack itself. I wasn't about to complain, though. I preferred to see him out of his mentor role.

Some time during my admiration for this newly exposed side of him Dimitri had pulled me into the shadows of some nearby trees. I found myself with my back pressed against a tree and with Dimitri's hands gingerly caressing my cheeks. I smiled softly at him…and I believe that's all it took for him to lean down and kiss me. This kiss wasn't like lust-driven one back in my dorm room. It wasn't like when he saved me from being turned back in the lounge. Nor was it like the 'this-could-be-goodbye' kiss right before we joined the battle. No, this kiss was delicate and full of relief on both our behalves. We survived the battle; sure, that was a great reason to be relieved. But this relief came about with the knowledge that the other had survived with little harm done. Honestly, I could have an arm and a leg amputated and still feel the way I did when I saw Dimitri had survived.

He eventually pulled away and rested his forehead against mine. "Go check on Lissa. I know it's bothering you that you haven't seen her in person yet."

I shifted my weight a little. "But you better keep to your word. If they don't give you anything to do, you better find me."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied sarcastically.

I playfully slapped his arm as I reached up to kiss him one last time before I left to go find Lissa. Well, when I tried to leave that is. As I turned to go, Dimitri pulled me back to kiss me again. This happened a few times.

I smiled against his lips as I spoke, "How do you expect me to find Lissa if you won't let me get even two feet away?"

He chuckled, still not pulling away. "Sorry."

I tried escaping his hold, but his arms were still tightly wrapped around me. I tried to stifle my laughter. "Dimitri! Let me go!"

He loosened his hold considerably. "Try to…stay…out of…trouble…" he said in between kisses. I swear the things he did to me. This new playful side of him intrigued me, but it was also a little irritating at the moment. We both had things to do before we could have time to ourselves.

Dimitri and I finally broke apart when I pushed against his chest. He raised a questioning eyebrow as I stared at him. I asked, "Did we have some personality switch?"

"Obviously not." He rolled his eyes. "I'm just relieved nothing happened to you. Don't get used to this. I'll be back to your mentor tomorrow."

I snorted with laughter. "You're lying through your teeth. You haven't acted as my mentor in weeks."

"That's not true," he replied defensively. "You've just made it difficult to stay in the role as your mentor."

I scoffed. "I'm offended. The fault is not all on me."

"Now, go find Lissa." He grinned as he turned around and pushed me in the direction of the church.

I went along with his attempt at evading the conversation and started walking toward the church. When I felt there was enough distance between us, I turned back around and shouted after him, "We'll talk about this later, Guardian Belikov!" The last thing I was before turning back around was his almost-mischievous smile.

**A/N: **BAM! I know it's been months since I've updated, but I really don't think it'll happen again. Summer vacation has started for me, so I'll be able to update more. Though, I have summer assignments for my AP Literature and AP Spanish classes.  
Anyway, tell me what you think, please. I don't know if I like this chapter or not, especially with the, more than likely, many out of character moments. :/


	22. Chapter 22

At the time I had been irritated with Dimitri for preventing me from seeing Lissa, but now that I wasn't with him, I longed for his touch and I nearly turned back. Instead, I settled with glancing over my shoulder until he was out of sight. I heaved a sigh, forcing myself in the direction of the church.

I had a feeling there were would be some people who would go to the church to pray almost immediately after the attack. I just didn't expect as many as I saw when I entered the church. There were nearly as many people as there would be for a Sunday morning service.

I quickly found Lissa sitting near the back with Christian and Adrian. I shuffled through the pew, careful to avoid tripping. Faceplanting onto one of the pews just after fighting the biggest battle of my premature career didn't sound too appealing at the moment.

Lissa attacked me with a hug. Being caught off guard, I stumbled back and nearly fell down. I pat her back a few times and said, "I'm fine, Liss. No need to crush me to death…"

She stepped back and glared at me. "That's not funny, Rose."

"Wh—" I replayed my words in my mind, frowning when I realized what I had said. "Sorry. I guess it's not time for jokes just yet?" She shook her head. Which reminded me... I carefully felt along my ribcage to check if any of them were broken from the side blind attack earlier. I winced at a small pain.

"Rose? Are you hurt?" Lissa reached out, her thoughts screaming at me that she wanted to help by healing me.

I took a step back. "I may have a broken rib or two, but that's it. They'll heal soon. Don't waste your energy on me."

"It won't be a waste," she defended. "Let me heal you."

I shook my head. To avoid further argument, I looked around the church, but didn't find who I was looking for. I frowned. "Where's Eddie?"

Adrian replied this time. "He left to help fight a little while ago. I'm sure he'll be back soon." His gaze met mine and I had the feeling everyone's auras were getting to him just by the hollow look in his eyes. "Christian said it was chaotic out there..." His eyes narrowed slightly, inspecting my aura. "Are you okay, Rose?"

I blinked, surprised he called me by my name. I eventually shrugged in response. "I've been better, but I could feel a lot worse than I do."

"…I take it Belikov is doing just fine," Christian added.

I glared at him. The tone of my voice turned low and dangerous. "Watch it, Ozera. You're lucky we're in a church right now."

He rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't do anything to me. You can deny it all you want, but I'm important to you."

"Oh, you're my _favorite_," I said with a smile that left my cheeks aching. "Once we leave here, I'll show you just how I treat my favorites."

"Bring it, Rosie," Christian replied with a smirk.

"She most certainly will not," a voice said from behind me. Seeing as how we were in the church, I let my guard down immediately; hence my jumping at this new voice.

I looked over my shoulder to see my mother standing there. Until that moment I had never been relieved to see her, but battle changes people. Before I could register what I was doing, I fully turned around and hugged her. She pat my back a few times before stepping out of my embrace. I frowned at her being stoic at that moment.

"What? You're not happy to see me?" I asked.

Her face softened, but if I hadn't been watching so closely, I wouldn't have noticed. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Of course I am, especially after I saw you drop your stake." She leaned to the side to look at Christian. "You're lucky Lord Ozera showed when he did. Speaking of—"

"Before you say anything, Guardian Hathaway," Christian, standing behind me now, said, "it was my choice to help Rose. She tried to send me back here, but I refused. She's not to blame for my life being in danger."

Janine coolly raised an eyebrow. "I was only going to mention how brave it was for you to go out there. I'm sure Natasha will be proud to hear about what you've done." She dropped the stoic façade completely after that and she even smiled a little. "I'd also like to thank you."

I think I flinched. Never before had I bore witness to my mom being sincere. I thought it was more likely to meet my father than to see her let down her guard. I guess I was wrong. But with everything that was new to me going on, who knows? Maybe I would meet my father soon. I was brought out of my daze when someone lightly shoved my shoulder.

"Rose, are you all right?" Janine asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

"You're being nice. What's going to happen next? Are you going to surprise me by having me meet whoever my father is?" And there I go again, voicing my thoughts aloud. Dammit.

She frowned. "Rosemarie."

"What?" I blinked. "I'm vulnerable to shock right now."

She rolled her eyes. "Is it really that surprising that I care for my daughter's wellbeing?" At my extended silence, she let out a sigh. "I suppose it is."

Once upon a time, I would have loved to have caused this reaction from my mom as a form of retribution for not being part of my life. It just wasn't as great as I thought it'd be. In fact, I felt horrible.

I quickly shook my head. "No, no... I just didn't even expect you to be here still. I thought Lord Szelsky was leaving soon."

She shrugged. "He is, and he has other guardians. I'm needed here, so I'm not leaving."

I was going to comment, but I became speechless when Dimitri walked in looking grief-stricken. I felt a lump in my throat and it wouldn't go away. Something was wrong. Horribly wrong. As if feeling my gaze, Dimitri turned to look at me. His lips twitched in the slightest, but he didn't fool me. I excused myself from my mom and my friends and made my way over to my mentor.

He was now seated in the furthest pew in the back. I sat down next to him, careful not to hold his hand. I simply sat in a position facing him. "Is everything all right?" I asked. Granted, it wasn't the greatest question to ask, but what else could I say? It certainly wasn't the time to make jokes…as proven when I first got to the church. Dimitri's mouth fell into a thin line as he glared at the front of the church. I sighed. "Dimitri?"

"Viktoria's missing," he murmured. He closed his eyes and deeply exhaled. "It hasn't been that long, but no one has seen her. If we can't find her…"

I caught myself reaching out to grab his hand. I quickly balled both my hands into fists. "We'll find her. Even if we don't, Viktoria's strong. I'm sure she'd be able to make her way back here. Or she'll fight, find her way to safety, and contact you or the academy."

"And what if she doesn't?" He frowned. "I'm supposed to look after her and look what happens. I don't know if I'll be able to live with myself if she doesn't show up."

I bumped his leg with my knee. "Stop beating yourself up. She'll be just fine." He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, but he just muttered to himself in Russian. I grimaced. To Hell with being inconspicuous right now. I cupped his chin and forced him to look at me. "It's _not_ your fault. She'll be back and in perfect health before we know it. We can…go find her…" I felt my face soften as I suddenly had an idea. "Are the wards up yet?"

He raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "They were put up at the first sign of sunlight. Why do you ask?"

"Wow, I feel like an idiot. Why didn't I think of this before…?" I was talking to myself now, and if the look on Dimitri's face was any indication, I'd say he was worried for my mental health. Not that I could blame him. If he started talking to himself, I would have almost immediately suggested a psychiatrist or something. Maybe search through an online auction site for a straitjacket.

"I think she's hysterical. Let me slap her and see if it helps," someone suggested.

I glared in their direction, not surprised in the least to see it was Christian who made the comment. "Lay one finger on me and it will be the last thing you do."

Christian smiled widely. "Oh, at least I would have lived a _happy_ life."

I tried to pull off the one eyebrow thing but to no avail…I ended up grimacing. "What are you implying?"

"Not something I can mention in a church," he replied smugly.

I think my jaw dropped. With my mother nearby? In a church?

Well, no. I shouldn't have been too surprised. I mean, his romantic escapades with Lissa take place in the church's attic. Why should he worry about making a sexual innuendo in the middle of the chapel? However, Lissa still gasped and smacked Christian on the arm.

I didn't pay attention to their banter after that. I just focused my attention back on Dimitri. "Do you think you could get me outside the wards for just a few minutes?"

Dimitri's eyes moved from side-to-side as he looked at me as if he was trying to figure out what I was implying. "I don't think that'd be wise…"

"In broad daylight? A stake on hand? Wards just a few feet away?" I rolled my eyes. "Who are you kidding? I'll be perfectly safe if we go now."

"Rose…" His jaw clenched, but there was a glint in his eyes that told me he had no argument.

"See? I win. Now let's go." I stood up, quickly grabbing his hand and trying to pull him up from his sitting position on the pew. Considering I was only a fraction of his weight, I was having difficulty. "C'mon, Dimitri. _Please_."

He sighed as he stood up, pulling his hand out of my grasp as he did. I don't think he'd admit it, but he was petrified of my mother. When she was on high alert, telling her about our relationship was by far the last thing we needed. Our worrying wasn't wholly necessary, however. My mom had wandered up to the front of the church to talk to a guardian I didn't recognize.

Dimitri and I excused ourselves and left the church. It was like a silence spell was casted over us. He was pondering over where he went wrong in looking after his little sister and blaming himself for her disappearance. I, on the other hand, was thinking about how to rescue everyone who was taken away.

Being preoccupied with devising a plan, I didn't even notice we'd arrived at the front gates. Not until Dimitri all but shouted at me and shook me by the shoulders. I blinked a few times, regaining focus on the world around me. Dimitri was at eye level with me, concern etched in his face.

Even though leaving the safety of the wards for even the slightest of moments was my idea, it didn't mean I was looking forward to facing any ghosts. I decided to put as much of the Rose Hathaway bravado into my comment as possible. "Calm down, comrade. I was only deep in thought. I'm fine."

Until that moment, I hadn't noticed the hollow look in his eyes from the disappearance of his sister. My reassurance that I was okay physically and mentally—enough to appear confident when in fact I wasn't—gave his eyes a little life but nowhere near enough. Despite being out in the middle of campus, I took his hand in mine and gently squeezed. "I told you. She'll be fine."

He smiled sadly. I'd never seen him in a vulnerable state, but his emotions had to be overwhelming him and I couldn't blame him for that. I was upset by her disappearance, too. I mean, she's his sister, first and foremost, but she's also someone I had gotten to know and become close friends with since she transferred to St. Vladimir's. The only reason I decided not to dwell on her disappearance was for Dimitri's sake. I knew he'd try to bottle up his emotions and hide behind that guardian mask of his, but I knew him. His grief was too obvious to me.

Our moment ended when he finally chose to speak. "So what is so important that you were willing to drag me here?"

"Not _here_. Right outside the gates, out of the wards," I corrected.

"Rose, what could possibly—"

"I came up with a theory and I'd like to test it while it's safe to be away from the protection of the wards." He eyed me skeptically, causing me to groan in frustration. "Come on, Dimitri! I think this could possibly help us find Viktoria and everyone else! Please!"

Some emotion flashed in his eyes, though it was gone before I could figure out what it was. But if the brief, miniscule upward curve in his lips was any indication, I'd say it was along the lines of hope or gratitude. His guardian mask fell back into place as he released my hand and left to go discuss something with one of the guardians posted by the gates. As he did this, I stood there, rocking back and forth on the heels of my feet while admiring the colors cast by the dawning sun I so rarely saw.

Dimitri returned a few minutes later, almost, what seemed to be, instinctively intertwining his fingers of his right hand with the fingers of my left. I flashed him a small smile at the gesture just as he began leading me through the now-open gates.

Not a word was said until we stopped around a hundred feet from the gates. He exhaled deeply before he fixed his gaze on me. "Now what's this theory of yours?"

I was a little wary about telling him that it involved the ghosts, but telling him beforehand was better than leaving him to put two and two together when I started speaking to the air. At least that's what it'd look like.

"You know how I've been seeing ghosts?" I began. His jaw clinched and he nodded. Obviously he still didn't want to believe I was seeing ghosts. "I think it has something to do with the magic of the wards when one will appear? Stakes are infused with defensive magic, right?" It took him a moment, but he nodded again. The look on his face clearly showed the wheels were turning in his head. That was enough for me to continue. "When those students were taken away, they were practicing defensive magic. More or less, they were right on top of the wards. I don't think it was enough to cancel out the wards' magic like a stake usually would, but I think it was enough to weaken them for Strigoi to get onto campus and carry away those few students."

"It makes sense." He took hold of my other hand as well as he studied me, trying to decipher where I was going with this, but I could practically hear the click in his head when he understood. "Are you sure?"

I shrugged. "It couldn't hurt. I mean, Mason showed up right before the attack, and he obviously knew what was going to happen. Maybe he knows where the Strigoi are hiding until nightfall."

Dimitri didn't say anything after that. He simply pulled me closer to him, making the space between us that much more intimate. His facial expression was stoic, but that same emotion from earlier was there again. I don't think he'd admit it, but that hope was for me to be right, to have a lead in saving Viktoria.

I took a deep breath and focused on imagining Mason. I faltered for a few seconds as I realized this had been the first time I'd intentionally thought about my late friend since he literally was killed at the hands of Isaiah. I took another deep breath and murmured his name. I waited.

Nothing.

I tried again, this time a little louder.

My head suddenly ached and multiple translucent faces appeared in front of me. I hardly recognized them, but I knew none of them were Mason. I groaned in frustration. I tried once more, pleading for him to show up and for the others to go away.

And that's what happened. My head was still throbbing a little, but it was easier to ignore now. Mason had appeared somewhere to my left.

I turned to face him and smiled despite his expression was torn when he saw me. Anxiety was getting the best of me, I could possibly be right about being able to find those who were taken away. "Great! You're here!" He just stared at me. I sighed. It was better if I just got right to the point. "There was a mass Strigoi attack..." His face contorted into annoyance and I could have sworn he rolled his eyes, but it was difficult to tell with the sun out. "Don't give me that look. I know you were trying to help, but how was I supposed to know that at the time?"

Mason pointed to Dimitri, who I quickly glanced at. He raised an eyebrow but still said nothing. "Okay, touché. I was lost in my own little world earlier. I'm sorry." I watched as a look of heartbreak overcame Mason's face. I frowned; he was gone, and yet, I still managed to hurt him…But that was an issue for another time. "I really, _really_ need your help, Mase." He went back to staring at me. Whether or not he was annoyed that I was only contacting him for his help was something I didn't question. I couldn't waste any time. "Do you know where the Strigoi went?" He nodded hesitantly.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Dimitri's hands tightened around my own. "He knows! Where are they?" The speed at which the words were said confirmed my earlier thoughts. He was hopeful, extremely hopeful, like it was the best news he had ever heard. To him it probably was.

I couldn't answer exactly where just yet, especially since it was pretty apparent Mason was incapable of audibly answering. I looked sat Dimitri. "Is it possible you have a map on you?"

Dimitri pursed his lips and shook his head. "No, I don't. But there may be one at the gates. I'll be right back."

I watched as Dimitri walked off in the direction of the academy. I felt a quickly pang of loss without him next to me, but I shook it off. I hadn't exactly taken Conversations to Have with Ghosts 101, so I didn't have the slightest clue as to what to ask Mason. I could apologize, but I didn't know where to begin. I had led him on, lied to him…

Thankfully, Dimitri didn't take too long to return, and he had a map in hand. He unfolded the map, taking hold of two corners as I did the same. The map displayed the campus layout and several miles surrounding St. Vladimir's. From what I knew about the recent incidents involving Strigoi and Mason's multiple warnings, they got in through the western side of campus. More than likely that was the direction we could find them.

"Where are they?" I glanced at Mason. He was now hovering beside me and examining the map. There was a short pause, but he then pointed to an area on the left half of the map. It looked like the cartographer was showing there was some rough texture there. I scoffed. "What the hell is that?"

"What's what?" Dimitri asked. Well, shit. It slipped my mind that he couldn't see Mason.

I pointed to where the Strigoi allegedly were. "There. He says that's where they're staying for now."

Dimitri eyed me pointedly before looking at our surroundings. He muttered something about mountains, but I didn't pay close attention…which would explain why I jumped when he finally shouted something.

I frowned at him. "What?"

"Caves," he said, his eyes flying across the details of the map. "They're probably staying in caves."

"What makes you say that?"

The only link I made between mountains and caves was that in someway they involved rocks. Obviously he thought differently. "I'm no expert, but I'd say with the mountains nearby and the general—" I really didn't need a geography lesson.

"Alright, I get it." I looked at Mason again and smiled gratefully at him. Before I could audibly thank him, though, he faded away. I felt my face fall. For what I've put him through, it was safe to say I deserved to feel the sudden heartache I did.

I don't know when we got back to the main part of campus. I was too lost in my own memories of the time at the ski lodge and the house in Spokane. I could apologize to him as a ghost, but it just wouldn't be the same. Suffice to say, when I felt my back press up against a brick wall I was surprised.

"Rose?" Dimitri whispered. I blinked until my vision was back into focus. Dimitri stood before me at my eye level once again. "Are you all right?"

I shrugged, which was a feat at the moment. Not only was I pressed up against a brick wall, but also Dimitri had a near death grip on my shoulders. "I was just thinking again..."

He frowned. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I closed my eyes and sighed. I was overwhelmed by the guilt caused by my memories from just a matter of weeks ago. "Later," I breathed as I opened my eyes again.

He nodded in understanding. A look of love took over his features, making my heart flutter. We had faced a lot in the past few hours and we were hardly in the proper mindsets to be rational, to have common sense. Nor, I think, did either of us really care.

At least for a very brief moment.

It was light out. Had it not been for the attack, the grounds would have been deserted. Of course, there were plenty of people around to witness any romantic exchange between us. Sure, Alberta granted permission to limited public displays of affection, but there was still one small factor: I was seventeen for one more day.

"Let's go somewhere else," I blurted. At his amusement expression, I huffed. "That way we won't have an audience."

The realization was evident on his face and he quickly took a step back. He looked at his wristwatch. "We have about an hour before we should get to where the meeting's being held."

"There's no way it's been two hours already!" I exclaimed.

"No," he deadpanned, "it hasn't. You should tell Guardian Petrov about what just happened though. She's the only other guardian who knows about your situation…"

I scoffed. He made it sound like seeing ghosts was like a disease…Okay, it may as well have been. I truly didn't want to have the ability and it was repulsive.

"…half an hour before, she'll have some time to think of a possible plan. A raid would give us the upper hand but only for a little while. We'd probably have to go in groups even with how many we killed here already…"

Was he still talking?

I knew that I should have been listening, but I just could not bear to listen to what I already knew. I reached up and cupped his chin with my right hand, my thumb and ring finger lightly pressing into his cheeks. "Shut up," I said slowly.

Dimitri blinked before his gaze hardened. He tried speaking, but his words came out muffled. I suppressed a smile; he had to use his long fingers as makeshift cuffs around my wrists. "Rose—"

"I already know what will happen and why. Can we not focus on that for a little while? Only until I tell Alberta?"

And so, that's what we did. We escaped the stares and our troubles by secluding ourselves in one of the lesser used lounges in the dhampir dorm building. We lay on our sides, my back pressed against his chest and his arms wrapped around me, on the couch mostly in silence. Most of the time he would slowly rub one hand up and down my arm. The time alone with him is exactly what I needed.

"What are we going to do about guarding Lissa?" I abruptly asked. It was a topic we had covered briefly in the past, back when we wouldn't act on our feelings. Now that we weren't as inhibited, there was no avoiding it.

I heard him sigh before he kissed the top of my head. "I don't know. It's not completely guaranteed you'll be assigned as Lissa's guardian, even with the bond." He must have sensed my rebuttal, because he quickly continued. "Of course, who your charge is depends on who requests you to be their guardian, record, instructor comments, your trials…I think you will be assigned to her."

"I think your opinion may be just a _little _bias." I shook my head. "Running away is like a black spot; the council won't overlook it. Not to mention the smaller things I've done…And who knows what I'll do before trials?"

"But you have killed multiple Strigoi already. You know how to keep a vast amount of people safe from harm." I flinched, thinking about Isaiah snapping Mason's neck. Dimitri noticed and pulled me even closer to him. "Plus, you kept Lissa safe for two years. The good outweighs the bad, I promise."

I tightly shut my eyes, doing my best to believe it. He sounded so sure, proud, confident… "And if I do get assigned to Lissa, what will you do? She's my best friend, but I don't think we can avoid always putting her first…" There was a stretch of silence, other than the voices carrying from the nearby lounges.

"I'll ask to be reassigned," he finally said.

Though he couldn't see it I frowned. "What?"

"If you get assigned to her, I'll request to be reassigned to someone else at Court. If they ask why, we can either tell them the truth or we can come up with an excuse."

"I think they would know the excuse was a lie when they saw that we're a lot closer than just a mentor and his student…or friends for that matter."

He chuckled. "I see your point, but let's figure this out when the time comes and after we've discussed this with the princess."

"All right," I said. "That I can live with."

He removed one of his arms from around me. I heard him sigh a few seconds later. "We need to go. We can't keep what you know from Guardian Petrov any longer."

**A/N: **Voila! Another chapter done. Only a few more left… I'm not going to cave and tell you what's planned for the last few chapters and the entire sequel, but I assure you it's a different. Whatever you're thinking will happen is probably wrong.  
I will say every review made me smile from the last chapter. Thank you so, so much!  
I do realize it was very similar to Shadow Kiss, but this is like my own version of the series' third installment. The fact that no one actually complained amazes me; then again, I'm my own worst critic. What do I know?  
Anyway, what do you think about this one? It's not my favorite, nor is it that exciting, but it's necessary. Don't spare my feelings. :]


	23. Author's Note

Dearest Readers,

I know that it's been _months _since I've updated anything of mine, and I am extremely sorry about that. My schedule has been hectic though. I have three AP courses: English Literature, Spanish Language, and Chemistry. I spend most of my time studying and working on projects, presentations, and papers. And that's leaving out pre-cal (mind you, I suck at math), art, and creative writing. And the ACT and SAT. And extracurricular activities, like drama club and National Spanish Honors Society. Too many things to name. So when I actually get online, I'm usually on mobile.

Winter break starts next Wednesday for me, and I'll be out of school for two weeks. During that time I should be able to update a couple times. I may even get around to rewriting RHI like I've been wanting to for a while…I've noticed several mistakes when rereading it, and they're bugging the hell out of me. But I'm torn among rewriting before I finish it, rewriting after I post the sequel, or rewriting before I post the sequel. Thoughts? As for Heartache, Lights Camera Action, and It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas…I may rewrite them too. To better pace them, add more details, make my characterization better…

Oh! So how about _Last Sacrifice_? Pretty great, huh? And I never got around to rambling about _Spirit Bound _because of my hellacious schedule. But I will say this…SB left me hating the ship of AdrianxRose, wanting to knock Dimitri senseless, and honestly wish something horrible upon Lissa. Then again, I didn't like her from the beginning, so whatever. The final chapter wasn't exactly what I hoped it would be, but it was great nonetheless. But I'm exceptionally curious as to who the spin-off will be about. And I want to know what happens to the guy who Rose didn't choose and what happens to the murderer and their accomplice. Or accessory, whatever the correct term is. And the new monarch? How's that reign going to go? And I wonder about that hunting trip…Hmm… Ugh, I have _so _many questions. Well, and I have a couple ideas too, but I'm shoving them away until I finish what I have right now. And what all else I have planned. So it'll, possibly, be a while before my theories are uploaded. Written, however, is a completely different story.

I hope you all haven't lost interest in my stories, because I've got huge plans for them still. Even if the periods between updates appear agonizingly long. I assure you, they'll be worth it… Though I am curious: Where do you think I'm even going with my story or stories (whichever one(s) you're reading)?

Hope to hear from you all soon. (Considering I did as a couple questions, and it'd be helpful to me if at least a few people answered them) :D

Best wishes,

Emily (emiz.12)

P.S. I also apologize if I didn't make a whole lot of sense either. I've been rundown the past couple weeks from working for the school play—and going to cast parties—and the weather, so I've caught a cold. Damn my luck.


	24. Chapter 23

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone for the fantastic reviews for the last real chapter of RHI. Each and every one of them made me smile. :] **  
**So I'm finally updating. It's a miracle, right? Anyway, I hope this chapter will almost seem like it was worth the wait. When I actually had time to work on this, I worked really hard on it. Though to be perfectly honest, it ended up being a little bit different from what I originally wanted it to be. (Like the almost-kind of-not really lemon in the middle of this chapter. Just a little **warning**.)  
So…yeah. I'm not promising I'll be updating frequently, but I _will_ try. My AP exams are soon, so I'll be having study sessions for each of the topics a little more often. And I'm busy planning things for my senior prom. On the bright side, I'll have some free time from the middle of May until late August to work on/finish some of my stories. Hopefully that'll work out and I'll finish RHI before its two year anniversary of being on this site. And _hopefully _I'll have Comatose started before my freshman year in college starts up this fall.

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, I _don't _own the Vampire Academy characters, and I am in _no way_ affiliated with Richelle Mead, Penguin Group publishing, Preger Entertainment, or anyone else involved with the publication of these amazing books. I hardly have a right to call the storyline of this fanfiction my own.

* * *

"This has to do with that episode on the plane?" Alberta asked, wearing a blank expression on her face.

I had just finished telling her my theory about the wards, stakes, ghosts and Strigoi. I told her about summoning Mason and where he said the Strigoi were hiding while the sun was out. Dimitri had given me an hour's worth of time to explain everything to Alberta.

I scoffed at her comment. "Thanks for making me sound insane."

Alberta rolled her eyes offhandedly. I took that as her way of telling me it wasn't the time for sarcasm. Of course I knew that, but sarcasm is practically my native language.

"Say this is where the Strigoi are, how are we going to go about rescuing those who are being held captive? We may have even more casualties when it's all said and done with. Is a rescue mission worth it?"

And to think…Alberta was starting to grow on me, and then she makes a comment like that. I squeezed Dimitri's hand that I'd been holding for who knows how long. "We know where they are. And they aren't expecting us, I'm sure. We have the element of surprise on our side for a matter of minutes. That can really limit the number of…_deaths _in the end." I took a deep breath. "The captives deserve another chance too! They risked their lives and look what happens. They're a possible snack for those bastards! No one deserves that…or the alternative! _No one_!"

I was probably borderline hysterical and incoherent, but I felt what little control I had left slipping away and some dark emotions that weren't wholly my own taking over. Inadvertently imagining Viktoria Belikov with pale skin and red eyes didn't help either. The Strigoi attributes didn't suit anyone, but on a Belikov, the thought was horrible…And that's what led my mind to conjuring an image of Dimitri as Strigoi. That…

That was unbearable.

I was a strong person by nature, physically and emotionally. However, with everything that's happened in recent months, Dimitri had become my rock and also made me stronger along the way. If something were to happen to Dimitri, I don't know what I'd do. Who would I turn to?

I felt a large, warm hand slowly rubbing circles in my back. The gesture calmed me down a little, but my thoughts were still uncomfortable and sporadic. I wouldn't be at ease until this rescue mission was over and I knew Dimitri was alive and well.

"…Hathaway! How do you suppose we pull this off? Even with Princess Dragomir healing the wounded, our numbers have still depleted significantly. We can't just be ready to attack before sunset. We need to devise a plan _and _prevent exhaustion!"

I groaned in frustration and took a step forward, away from Dimitri's attempt at comforting me. "There will be more Strigoi if we don't do anything! If we do this, there will either be the same amount or less! That's part of our job, right? Not only to protect Moroi but also to free whoever will face or is facing fate as a Strigoi?" I tightly closed my eyes to avoid seeing the reaction to my next suggestion. "There are Moroi willing to fight. If we allow that, we wouldn't be at a disadvantage…as long as someone is there to shield them from harm's way."

I was expecting an outcry and more rejection. Only I heard nothing. Silence. I slowly opened my eyes to see Alberta staring intently at me as if she were deciphering the possibilities of allowing Moroi to go near the line of fire.

After a few minutes, she sighed. "I'll mention your suggestions when the meeting is called to order. I'm not promising we'll do either, but they will be in debate." She eyed me pointedly. "_After _Lord Ozera's involvement with the attack on campus is discussed."

"Guardian Petrov—" Dimitri began, but Alberta shook her head.

"No, I understand perfectly why he did what he did." She smiled a small smile. "I managed to speak with him about an hour ago. He told me everything, Rose. You're not in trouble, don't worry."

"That's a first," I muttered out of impulse.

She chose to ignore my comment, but she continued to address me, her face softening into a look of concern. "Rose, I'm not going to lie to you. You look absolutely exhausted."

I shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal."

"It is. Not that everyone hasn't dealt with a lot in the past several days, but you've seen and been through a lot more than most. Maybe you should get some rest now? I'm sure Dimitri would be able to fill you in on what happens."

"What about my opinion?" I asked, outraged.

"Dimitri and I both know your opinions and ideas. You may not be present, but your voice will be heard. You don't have to worry about that."

"But—"

"Rose, she's right. You need rest before—_if_—we take action," Dimitri stated, taking hold of my hand. "If something's covered in the meeting that we haven't mentioned already, I know how you think. Now stop being stubborn and get some rest."

"I can do without sleep. Really, let me—"

"_Roza_," he chastised.

I glared up at him, only to be greeted with an almost pleading look. It wasn't fair that he could be so irresistible. But I certainly wasn't going to give in. I needed to physically take part in the meeting, and as much as I trusted both Dimitri and Alberta, I wanted to be there to witness the reactions to my idea. I shook my head at the both of them. "No, I want to be here when everyone is told. Let me stay!"

Dimitri and Alberta exchanged glances just before Dimitri took hold of my hand once more and guided me to the back of the room. I opened my mouth to protest, but there was no need to. Instead of guiding me out of the room as I originally thought he would, Dimitri led me to a secluded corner in the back row of seats.

We sat there in silence. Rummaging through the possibilities. _Will both of us make it out alive? Is Viktoria alive? What would I do if something happened to him? What if something happened to me?_ I let out a sigh of frustration. I was being paranoid. Dimitri was one of the best guardians around; of course he would survive a rescue mission. He'd trained me. And Viktoria was just as, if not even more, stubborn than he was; she'd survive. I shouldn't have been worrying. I squeezed his hand to reassure myself. He was still there, and he there will be after this was all said and done with. I needn't any worries.

A few more minutes passed when Alberta made her way to the front of the room. Everyone fell silent rather quickly. Dimitri let go of my hand, but he didn't break contact with me; his hand rested on my knee. I found myself placing my hand on his. It was as if breaking any contact would lead to losing him.

"St. Vladimir's Academy has been attacked," Alberta began. "There have been several casualties for us. We've lost students, teachers, and guardians alike…And then we have those who have gone missing—"at this Dimitri tensed "—and it's something that deserves most of our attention, but first—"

"The Ozera boy's involvement needs to be discussed!" someone suddenly shouted.

"Which is what we were about to cover," Alberta all but snapped in reply. No wonder I liked her. "Christian Ozera being out during battle is a severe situation, but he had his reasons. That I'm sure about."

"What could have possibly been his reasoning? He could have been killed or even turned. He didn't need to be out there!" At least he wasn't being viewed as a disgraced Moroi because of his parents' decision for once. _Wow, great time to think that, Rose._

I managed to keep some control, but I really couldn't say the same for Dimitri. "Lord Ozera had multiple reasons for staying out, as Guardian Petrov stated. He's not the type to just sit on the sidelines when he can do something about it."

"In fact," I quickly added in fear that Dimitri would become a target, "I tried to get Christian to go back to the safety of the chapel, but he _obviously _refused. But I did happen to keep a close eye on him. As much as I didn't like that he was out fighting, he was extremely helpful. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for his help, nor would a few others."

"You're a mere _child_," the guardian retorted. "You may think the world of yourself for already having two _molnija _marks, but you clearly didn't have the mental capacity to take on an unknown number of Strigoi just now. It would have been the wisest choice for you, all novices, and Moroi students to stay within the chapel and left the fighting to those who are experienced. _Or _you could have at least physically taken him back to the chapel to ensure his safety. And you, of all the people in here, should know that royals are the target of the Strigoi, especially the dying names like _Ozera _or _Dragomir_."

How low could this guy get? I tried to stand, but Dimitri was muttering nothings and holding me down. I relied on scowling. "Christian would have left the chapel a second time whether or not I physically escorted him there. He's too stubborn."

"It was petty and foolish."

"On the contrary," stated Dimitri calmly, "she kept Lord Ozera alive, which in case you've forgotten, is our main priority. And she managed to kill more Strigoi than most everyone in this room. Even the professionals make mistakes, if you can't tell by the empty seats in here." Speaking of low blows… "Rose did what was rational, and she had success."

"I think you're a little biased, Belikov." The guardian, who I still had no idea who he was, was now standing and eyeing Dimitri and I closely. "You two obviously have grown close, and you're blinded by whatever your relationship is."

"Guardian Matrosov, that is quite enough. This is not the time, nor the place, to discuss Miss Hathaway's relationship with Guardian Belikov. Save your comments for a time when others' lives aren't at stake." Alberta's expression had hardened. "Could we get back to the situation at hand, please?" Alberta waited for Matrosov to sit down before continuing. "Christian Ozera _chose _to fight. There were no outside influences—other than keeping Miss Hathaway alive. His success in taking part in the fight has reached the guardian council and the queen. This could be the event that will lead to the Moroi using defensive magic in combat without having to face consequences. That being if they _choose _to do so." She briefly looked at me, and then she took a deep breath. "Earlier I was approached with an idea. With the number of people that have been taken away, there's been a suggestion for a rescue mission."

There was an abrupt outcry. Guardians were shouting, standing up, and even approaching Alberta to speak with her. I felt a pang of guilt. She didn't deserve to be the target of the guardians' anger.

"Can we please retain order?" a voice boomed. It took me a moment to realize it had been my mother's. "This could be a good thing. We can save those who were taken from a terrible fate. That is the whole purpose for us being guardians, to save others from a death and an afterlife as a Strigoi."

All went silent once more. Alberta looked like she was on the verge of pulling her hair out. "Only those who want to go will. No one is being forced to go on this mission. This option has been extended to the Moroi as well, a test run of sorts granted by the queen herself. We have no time for rioting." She took a deep breath. "The Strigoi are hiding out in the caves a few miles away from the academy. More than likely they're planning on leaving when night falls. It would be best if we are there around three PM human time. Until then get plenty of rest—" she pointedly looked at me again "—and be prepared. We may have defeated many of them, but they have taken many of us…" She shook her head before her own guardian mask fell into place. "You're all dismissed."

Guardians quickly began filing out, but I stayed seated as long as Dimitri was. There was no way I wasn't spending the time up until the mission without him.

After I spoke to Alberta.

Luckily Dimitri quietly dismissed himself to discuss the mission with a few other guardians, my mother included; while he did that, I chose to go to the front of the room where Alberta was. She greeted me with a smile. "What can I do for you, Rose?"

"Well, I was curious," I began, doing my best to mask my worry. "Do you know anything about Eddie Castile? I haven't seen or heard anything about him since sunrise." Almost immediately her face became void of any emotion, and whatever hope I had dimmed.

"It is believed that Mister Castile is one of the taken. There hasn't been a trace of him since sunrise for us either." She shook her head. "Get some rest, Rose. You'll need it." She paused for a second to glance at the back of the room. "Tell Dimitri to get some rest as well. We need him to be as alert as possible."

I nodded. "Thank you, Guardian Petrov." Her façade broke a little at my use of formalities, but she made no other acknowledgement. Instead she just smiled once more before returning to the paper work at the desk.

Just as I began heading in Dimitri's direction, Alberta spoke up one more time. "And Rose, I do mean sleep _only_. Don't think I'm not aware of what's been going on behind closed doors."

I turned around, and I felt my cheeks heat up. "There hasn't been any other form of sleeping," I said, my tone light. "In fact I wasn't aware there was more than one way. I've never experienced it. But now that you mention it, I could have Dimitri enlighten me about—"

"I'll enlighten you about what?"

_Speak of the Devil and the Devil shall appear_. I felt my cheeks heat up once again while it looked like Alberta was doing her best to compose herself.

"Alberta was just informing me that we needed to get some sleep. Sleep only." I turned to face Dimitri, smiling mischievously. "I wasn't aware that there was more than one way to sleep, so I was wondering if you could enlighten me on the other way."

His face hardened as he glanced around the room. At this point, we were the only three left, but he wasn't going to drop the charade now. His eyes narrowed. "Now wouldn't be the time to enlighten you on the ways of sleeping."

"So when would be a good time?"

He let out a sigh before he looked to Alberta, avoiding my question. "Guardian Petrov, we'll see you at three. And," he quickly added when she went to speak, "we'll only sleep. In the most _innocent_ sense of the word. Don't worry." He escorted me out of the room before I could see her reaction, but I'm sure she was amused.

It was one-thirty. Dimitri and I had long since taken showers—separately of course—and he set the alarm for one o'clock. I wasn't too keen on getting up before it was necessary, but he insisted because he wasn't going to waste any time with me. Just in case. So we lay on his bed in each other's arms. We hadn't said anything since waking up, but there wasn't much to say. We both had objectives when going into those caves: To save Viktoria and Eddie. Hopefully that meant saving them from being Strigoi snacks and _not_ having to pierce their hearts with a stake.

Dimitri's arms briefly tightened around me. I turned on my side and buried my face in the crook of his neck. For the first time it felt like we were just an ordinary couple. We didn't have to worry about who was watching or judging us. We didn't have to hold back. At all.

"When do you think things will be normal again?" I asked out of the blue.

I felt him kiss the top of my head and pulled me, if possible, closer to him. "I think this is normal."

"How?"

He sighed. "As normal as it can be for us anyway. Worrying about everyone else around us, not knowing what will happen to one another by the end of the day. I think it will be like this from now on."

"Well, don't you just wish…" I shook my head. "Don't you just wish our lives didn't have to be this way? Even for just a day?"

"Roza," he breathed. "A day hasn't gone by that I haven't wished that. And I've never wanted it more since I've met you. I wish our lives could be easier. _Better_."

"Dimitri…"

"No," he said before I could even say anything more than his name. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked me in the eye. "I am _happy_, Rose."

"It's not that," I sighed, now staring up at the ceiling. "I wish I could give you more though. I know you want a family."

"We've been over this time and time again." He caressed my cheek. "I _only _want a family with you, and since that's not an option, I can live without one." He smiled a small smile. "Besides, we'll have my niece and nephew _and _your friends' kids to be around."

I shook my head. "It's not the same, though. I hate that I'm taking that away from you."

He deeply exhaled. "I'm taking away the same thing from you, so consider us even."

"You're a piece of work, do you know that?"

His smile returned. "Well, I'm certainly not going to be just something to look at."

I silently laughed at his little, uncharacteristic joke as I reached up to tuck some stray hairs behind his ear. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said with no hesitation.

I don't know what prompted me to do it. The outside force was similar to the power of the lust charm, but at the same time, it was very different. I was sure I could have controlled it; I just didn't want to. I hooked my arm around Dimitri's neck and leaned upward to kiss him. He responded instantly, lowering himself so that neither of us had to strain at all to get what we wanted. He nipped my lower lip, and I gasped. This was a different side of Dimitri. One I had only seen once before…while we were under that damn lust charm. And I gladly welcomed it. I _liked _this side of Dimitri

Somewhere in the midst of my reveling, my shirt had vanished and Dimitri had started trailing kisses down my neck. Every few kisses he would nip at my skin or murmur something in Russian. I didn't bother to ask what he was saying; I was more focused on how Dimitri was making me feel. It was otherworldly, _amazing_. Until I realized I didn't know what I was doing. Sure I'd become shirtless a few times while making out with some guys, but this was definitely different. This was _more_. And I was rapidly becoming self-conscious with each passing moment. What if I messed up? What if he thought—_Oh_.

Dimitri made it to my chest, the slight stubble grazing my skin, and whatever I was feeling before _amplified _tenfold. My nails dug into his shoulders. In response he bit into my flesh and moaned. Within seconds he was hovering over me, looking me in the eye. The look he wore was the same as the one from the lust charm. Except he was in total control of himself. He _wanted _to do this, and he was going against his better judgment. Hell, I was in the same boat as him. This was _wrong _on so many levels, but it was just so _right_.

"_Dimitri_," I breathed. "Please."

He briefly thought about it before he lowered himself down again and captured my lips with his own. I took advantage of our situation and unbuttoned his shirt slowly. To be honest, every time I saw him he took my breath away. No matter how cliché, it was just amazing that one man could be so perfect in mind, body, and soul. And he was _mine_.

He shrugged out of the shirt and blindly tossed it somewhere in the room. He moved back to my neck, but I pushed him away. To say he looked hurt was an understatement. Boy, was he in for a surprise. I flipped us over so that I was on top.

Dimitri's eyes grew mischievous as registered our new positions. He kept surprising me. I knew this was what he _wanted_, but it went against everything we were raised and lived to do. I was close to shoving him away, but I just…couldn't. I didn't know if I would see him again, and I didn't want to keep our relationship on the back burner any longer. I _needed _to show him how much I cared about him, and allowing him to take my virginity might have been the best decision I'd made in my life. I knew I wouldn't regret the decision. Ever.

I felt like Dimitri had come to the same conclusion that I had, because soon clothing was disappearing left and right. He took things slowly but still made our first time together sensual. Words could never even begin to describe how amazing it had been.

We lay together beneath the covers, limbs tangled together. We had to leave soon, but I never wanted to leave. I felt so safe and secure with him, especially when I knew we were going to be risking our lives soon.

However, that was our reality.

"We really need to get dressed," Dimitri said after an extended silence.

"What time is it?"

"Twenty 'til three." He kissed the top of my head before letting me go and getting out of bed entirely.

I honestly would have watched him get ready, but we were running out of time. The walk to where the guardians and select few Moroi were meeting took a decent amount of time. Given the fact that neither of us was presentable, it was quite possible that we'd be late. So I begrudgingly hunted the room for whatever pieces of my clothing I could find before I got dressed.

"Your time management is horrible," Dimitri commented just before we reached the guardians, novices, and Moroi.

"_Please _don't start that. You are just as much at fault as I am."

"Now who is going to believe that?" he asked out of amusement.

"No one has to believe it, but it is the truth," I replied. "You know, it probably would have never happened if you weren't so damn irresistible."

"Rose…" He then mumbled to himself in Russian. While I didn't understand a single word he said, his exasperated tone left me feeling a little more satisfied than I should have been and I smiled.

Alberta's instructions almost immediately killed my mood. It was time to go to the caves. And I was about to panic because of the unknown. I didn't know whether or not Viktoria and Eddie were safe. I didn't know what would happen to Dimitri.

"…If you know the Strigoi, _don't _hesitate…"

How possible was it for Eddie or Viktoria to be Strigoi?

_Shit_.

* * *

**A/N: **I decided to cut this shorter than what I had originally intended it to be, and I'm pretty positive that was the best decision. I apologize for how short and pretty much uneventful this chapter is. And I'm really sorry about the wait that this might not worth it, at all, but please tell me what you think. Constructive criticism would be nice if you have any to offer, by the way. And I still want to know where _you _think I'm going with this. Will I stay true to Shadow Kiss? Or will I change it? Hmm… 0:]


	25. Author's Note II

To my fantastic readers,

I honestly hope this will be my last author's note for a while. I can't promise anything, judging by my schedule for the next few months, however.

I wish I had the time to update regularly like I did when I first started some of my stories, but at the moment, I really don't. I only have a little over a month left of high school, and I hardly will be spending my time working on my fanfictions. I have a major project to work on for my English Literature class. (Speaking of, if any of you have read _The Picture of Dorian Gray_, please tell me what you think. That novel and Oscar Wilde are a huge part of that project, and I'd really like to know what others think about the book.) I also have a huge project in Spanish Language that will limit my time being at home. On top of all that, I have three AP exams during the first week of May. I also will be scheduling for classes at college on April 30th.

As I said, there is a little over one month left in high school for me. I want to make that time count for something, especially since several of my friends are going away for college. Like I am. And despite my writing is a huge part of my life, I feel that my friendships are more important right now.

I will still be working on my stories here and there, but an update before June is highly unlikely. Of course, I also have plans for this summer already, but I know that I'll have enough time to update then.

Rumor Has It will be my main priority, because I truly want that to be completed and have the sequel started before I even move in to my dorm in late August. I'd also like to point out that a recent review of RHI has given me a better idea for what is going to happen from the battle on. And I'd like to thank them in advance…even though it won't be obvious until probably two updates from now. Heartache will be my second priority. Right now the chapter that I'm working on is in someone else's point of view. Someone else as in the person who may or may not have walked in on Rose and Dimitri. The third priority will be Lights, Camera, Action!...simply because I _love _the ideas that I have for it. (That and I am totally in love with anything related to Hollywood) And it will be ten chapters maximum. Deadly Little Secrets and It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas are fourth and fifth. I love the ideas I have for the both of them as well, but a lot of my phrasing is off for both. So their updates are going to be exceptionally tedious.

I know you all must hate me for how little I've updated, but my senior year of high school has been hectic. And I have no idea what exactly to expect during my freshman year of college. And I'm sure my apologies are getting old and annoying right now, but I don't know what else I can do. Though I now know not to take on so many stories at once.

For those who have not given up home, I'd like to thank you and appreciate your loyalty. If that's what you can call it. If it were possible, I'd seriously send out a VA character of your choice.…Other than Dimitri. ;]

Until next time,

Emily (emiz.12)


	26. Chapter 24

_Don't hesitate. _

The advice rang in my ears as I pondered the likelihood of someone I knew being turned into a Strigoi. Our casualties were high from the invasion, but I hardly considered who and how many could be the enemy going into the caves. Even in the case of Viktoria or Eddie. I was hardly worried about either of them because I _knew _they could handle the situation. They were both brave and strong. I couldn't imagine either of them losing a battle, let alone being turned.

My worries drifted off to Lissa, Christian, Adrian, and (dangerously yet most importantly) Dimitri. I knew Christian and Dimitri could hold their own; I'd witnessed that firsthand. And even though Lissa wasn't allowed to be on the mission, her safety was a question in my mind. She didn't have any real defensive magic. Neither did Adrian. If there were any Strigoi still close enough to the school, what would happen?

I quickly shook her head, temporarily clearing my mind from those morbid thoughts. Instead I imagined life once the mission was over. With everyone back at St. Vladimir's, the attacks behind us.

After Alberta finished her speech, she spotted Dimitri and me. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She looked kind of, well, _pissed_. I wonder—Oh, _right_.

Dimitri cursed under his breath as soon as Alberta started making her way toward us. I tried walking away, but her sharp voice kept me in my place. "_Don't _even _think _about trying to get out of this, Hathaway."

I flinched. How could she possibly know we slept together? Dimitri and I were quiet…as quiet as people can be while having sex. Or so I imagined. And it's not like she could read minds or see auras. Unless there was something she wasn't telling the world, but I highly doubted that.

"What seems to be the problem, Guardian Petrov?" Dimitri asked. His guardian mask was in place, and if I didn't know any better, I would have thought he was genuinely confused.

"I said sleep _only_," she whispered harshly when she was close enough. "And you—" she pointed to Dimitri "—said you two would be sleeping in the most _innocent _sense. I took you to be a man of your word, Guardian Belikov."

Dimitri's mask faltered, and after trying to compose himself and failing, he frowned. "Listen, Alberta," he began, dropping all formalities to make the conversation more personal, "things don't always go as planned. It just happened."

Alberta closed her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose, and shook her head. "I understand, but I was hoping you two would stay under the radar until trials. For everyone's sake." She sighed. "You do realize that you have to tell Janine and _soon_."

"We planned on it," Dimitri replied, his voice switching octaves as he spoke. Under any other circumstances, I would have found it kind of cute and made a joke, but I was just as worried as he was about telling my mom. "We thought about telling her right before she left. That way she had an entire flight to mull over the idea."

"I don't think waiting is the best idea."

"Why?" I asked quietly. "I'll be eighteen tomorrow. If we wait just a little while longer, it wouldn't technically be illegal."

"What you two just did is illegal."

"The age of consent is sixteen." At least I could throw a fact out there, but that smugness faded when I saw how exasperated Dimitri was. I guess Rose logic wouldn't work in situations like this. Damn.

"It can be taken the wrong way."

"Alberta—"

"No, Dimitri," Alberta interrupted him. "_I _know it's not like that, but that doesn't mean others won't take it the wrong way. Even if they know how you are as a person." She looked at me. "And the same goes for you."

"Well, I certainly wouldn't allow some guy to force himself on me, not even someone as good looking as Dimitri," I scoffed. "Can people not keep an open mind?"

"Rose, no one else knows. Don't get so worked up about it." She sighed. "Take as long as you'd like telling Janine. Just try not to keep it a secret from her for more than a couple weeks." And with that she walked off.

"We really shouldn't wait much longer," Dimitri commented once Alberta was out of earshot. "Your mother deserves to know." I went to argue, but he quickly added, "No matter how dysfunctional your relationship with her is." He quickly pulled me into a hug, one that could be between two friends. "Be careful, Roza."

"Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself?" I gaped at him. "My mother just might castrate you with her stake when she finds out."

"I was talking about in the caves," he said sternly, avoiding the topic of telling my mother. "We don't know how many there are, and we don't know what will happen. Even the most experienced, best guardians can be taken down by something like this."

"Have some faith, comrade," I said as I took hold of his wrists. "We have the element of surprise on our side."

He frowned. "Only for a few minutes, and then it's fair game." He then quickly made it to where he was the one whose hands were makeshift cuffs around my wrists. "_Promise _me you'll be careful. If I—or anyone else for that matter—tells you to run, _run_. Don't defy anyone."

I stared down at our hands, briefly wishing I could just lace our fingers together to comfort him further. I sighed out of frustration. Would I listen to orders? What if something happens to Dimitri? Would I be able to control myself? In that moment, I couldn't promise him.

"Dimitri…" I kept staring down at his hands even as his hold tightened at my hesitation.

"Rose, _promise me_."

My eyes quickly snapped up as I deciphered the tone in his voice. He sounded vulnerable, and what I saw in his eyes was desperation. Desperation for me to promise him something that may just be impossible. And if he was, I certainly couldn't blame him. The invasion had taken a lot out of everyone. Viktoria was taken. He had a lot on his plate right now. Unfortunately I felt like I was adding to his stress with my next words.

"I…can't." The lines in his face deepened, and I felt horribly low. "Dimitri—"

"Why? Why can't you promise me this one thing?"

"I'm sure I'll be able to, but—" I bit my lip, trying to form the right words. "I don't know what I'd do if I saw you go down. I just have this gut feeling that whatever self-control I have will just slip away."

His fingers twitched but stayed firmly wrapped around my wrists as his eyes narrowed. "And I don't want anything to happen to you, but if you don't follow orders, it's highly likely something _will _happen. I can't even begin to fathom how I'd live if something happens to you while we're out there."

"I promise to _try_, but I don't guarantee." I looked down at our hands one last time. "And we'll get Viktoria back. That I _can _promise you."

"I hope you're right." He then let go and took a step back. "Please do your best to stay careful. You're not the only one whose control could 'slip away.'" He clasped his hands behind his back, and if it weren't for the glint in his eyes, I would have sworn he'd gone back to being in instructor mode.

"Ya lyublyu tebya," I murmured abruptly. I had a feeling I my pronunciation was incorrect, but that didn't matter. Not when I saw him smile. It wasn't the first time I've expressed myself in his native language, but it somehow meant more this time.

"Ya tozhe tebya lyublyu," he replied in an equally quiet tone. "You never cease to amaze me."

"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?" I grinned. "Someone has to keep you on your toes, comrade. I'm the only one who challenges you."

The corners of his mouth tugged upward, but before he could reply, someone shouted after us. We both turned in the direction of the voice. There stood my mother, and she never seemed so tall.

"Rosemarie, Guardian Belikov, we're about to depart," she said monotonously; the order was implied but rang loud and clear. She glanced between Dimitri and me, and then she walked away.

"We have to tell her soon, Roza," Dimitri breathed as we began following my mother.

"I know," I sighed. "When we get back, though." He didn't reply, but I knew he agreed. Telling Janine before invading the caves would be detrimental to the plan.

Soon we were divided into two different groups. And while I was in Dimitri's group, he was a leader; there were too many people between us for me to see him.

"Stop worrying," someone said as a hand came to rest on my shoulder. "Belikov knows what he's doing." I looked up to see Alberta once again. She smiled at me. "And he's driven to save his sister and protect you. He'll make it out alive."

I knew that she was right, but at the same time, I had this doubt. Dimitri has been known to be impulsive in the past. Who's to say he won't lose control again?

"Rose, he will." Alberta said firmly as her grip on my shoulder briefly tightened, and then she walked away.

I hoped she was right.

Soon we were making our way toward the caves. Dimitri was leading my group, but I was nowhere near him. Any and all students were obligated to stay in the rear of groups. That way we would be able to retreat faster, should the mission be too troubling. Christian was by my side; confidence radiating off him. He wanted to fight. He wanted to prove he wouldn't betray his race by becoming Strigoi. He wanted to kill what his parents had chosen to be.

"Tasha's proud of you, I'm sure," I whispered.

"She doesn't know about the attacks. Not unless your man candy has told her," Christian muttered.

"I doubt that. He's been busy lately."

"Busy?"

I thought back to a couple hours ago. My arms and legs were tangled with Dimitri's. My head rested on his chest. Despite everything going on around us, it was pure bliss.

But I couldn't share that with Christian.

"His sister disappeared." My tone was harsher than I had intended, but I just did not like Tasha. "He's also had to meet with the guardians to organize this raid. Telling Tasha hasn't exactly been top priority."

"Bitch," he scoffed silently.

"How so?" I hummed. "For simply stating a fact?"

"No. For being so hostile toward my aunt."

_Maybe if she weren't such a tramp_. "Let's not talk about this right now, okay? We have more important things to deal with right now."

And that was that. Sure the tension between Christian and I was insane, but I'd like to think that we silently agreed that I had been right. We had a score to settle, and to achieve that, we all had to work together. Friend or foe.

Soon, far too soon for my liking, we were at the mouth of the cave. Even with my enhanced vision, I could barely see Dimitri at the front of the line. Our troop was first to raid, of which I wasn't particularly fond, but I pushed that thought to the back of my mind.

It was a blur. Fists were flying every which way, while balls of fire were thrown around. It was utter chaos. All the warnings we novices had received were justified in that moment. Raids were certainly something I was no longer looking forward to once I graduated.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I joined in the fists of fury and attempting or succeeding in staking the immortal vampires. Each time I put extra force behind a swing I thought about everything that has happened lately. For Mason. For Lissa. For Aaron. For everyone.

I turned from the freshly fallen Strigoi before me to find anyone in need of help. There fought Dimitri. He was facing three Strigoi, and it was clear he needed help. I ran toward him, the sound of my feet pushing off the cave floor echoing in my ears, despite the shouting and fighting around me. I saw red, and dammit, I wanted to slaughter those undead bastards.

Just as I reached Dimitri, one of the three Strigoi whirled around, his fist colliding with my jaw and knocking me to the ground. Before I could move, the Strigoi hovered over me and curled his fingers around my throat.

"Rose Hathaway," he snarled. "Future guardian for Princess Vasilisa Dragomir. What a _pleasant _surprise. You're prettier than I expected. And you're not as good as I expected either. _Tsk, tsk, tsk,_" he said with a shake of the head.

Does this guy ever shut up? He reminded me a lot of Isaiah, the Strigoi in Spokane. If I had the mobility, I would easily have been able to stake him.

Though that wasn't necessary.

A look of pain crossed his pale, once-handsome face before collapsing beside me. A dead heap. Shocked, I sat up slowly to see a clean wound on the left. He had been staked. I had been saved once again that night.

My knight in ragged duster was there.

He crouched in front of me and brushed fallen strands of hair back. He was examining the damage done by the Strigoi. Deemed worthy of fighting, Dimitri helped me up.

"We're about to retreat. Moroi first, and I'll need you to retrieve the survivors. You're out best bet. Lead them back to the academy as quickly and safely as possible," he stated.

A lump formed in my throat, but I forced it down. My eyes watered as a result. "Yes, sir. Good luck." Some look flashed in his eyes, but I missed it. And without thinking, I stood on the tip of my toes and kissed his cheek.

It may have not been the best decision, but I was beginning to not care about what others thought.

I backed away and started searching for Moroi who were a part of the first raid. I quickly found a nearly exhausted Christian, but him being him, he offered to help search for the Moroi.

As I sought the Moroi, I had to dodge a few haywire fights or avoid stepping on the fallen from both sides. It was enough to make a younger novice want to drop out of school and move to a commune. Hell, it was almost enough to make me do it. No one should have to go through this, but people did. I suddenly respected my mother a lot more. I may have even understood why she chose not to raise me.

It was one thing after another. I never got to fulfill my duty completely. Just as Christian and I were about to escort the Moroi back to St. Vladimir's, someone shouted my name.

With some hesitation I ordered Christian to lead them back to the academy as quickly as possible. Once they were gone, I searched for who called me. Whoever it was had sounded weak and in need of help. I knew it wasn't Dimitri; our bond made sure I knew that. But who could it—

"Eddie," I gasped. He rested against the cave wall. I glanced at his neck and saw a few bite marks; the rest of his body seemed to be intact, save for a few scratches and bruises here and there.

"Rose, we'll get him. Go!" my mother's voice rang from a few fights away. I hesitated; I didn't want to leave Eddie alone. "Rose! Go. _Now!_" I frowned in Eddie's direction before dashing out of the cave.

I didn't look back. Not until I knew I was within the boundaries.

I waited.

Time could not have moved any slower.

I was pacing, hoping to see the silhouettes of the guardians. I'd be glad to see any, but there were four I wanted to especially see: My mother, my lover, my best friend, and my may-as-well-be sister. They were all who mattered in that moment. I didn't matter, so I kept refusing to go to the infirmary.

There was a ringing happiness through the bond. Judging by the type of happiness, I knew not to check in for a while. Christian had a bill of good health and was okayed to go back to his room. Unfortunately, that meant him finding Lissa and incidentally disturbing me.

Don't get me wrong. I was glad she wasn't upset or anything, but really? Now was not the time for that.

Not that I'm much one to talk.

Guardians stumbled in here and there, but not one of them was who I wanted. I was glad they survived, but still… This seemed like some big, sick joke being played on me by God for disobeying Alberta and sleeping with Dimitri.

"Belikov! Get back here!" That was Stan.

I looked up to see him chasing Dimitri onto the grounds. Farther away were some guardians, my mother, and Alberta supporting Eddie and a couple other injured novices and guardians. I was relieved finally. Mostly.

"Belikov!" Stan shouted, running right by me. "These things happen in our line of duty! _Get back here!_"

What things happen?

Instead of waiting to help the others, I joined Stan in chasing Dimitri. Stan muttered a few things, but I ignored him. I pushed against the ground harder, breaking away from the pain in the ass, and closing in on Dimitri. Screw rumors. Screw consequences. I was the only person remotely close to Dimitri who he wasn't related to. I needed to be there for him.

Before I knew it, I was standing outside his bedroom. My fist pounded on the door repeatedly; I was desperate to help him. "Dimitri! Open up! Please?"

No response.

I honestly thought I'd be the one person to help with whatever was bothering him. I sighed and glanced down. Surely not.

I turned the doorknob, and surprisingly, the door opened. Dimitri was not the type to keep his door unlocked, but I welcomed his brief forgetfulness. I pushed the door open, and once I was in the room, I shut it quietly.

"When I didn't answer, that wasn't an invitation for you to come in," Dimitri said softly, though his frustration was clear.

"I was worried," I responded, taking small, slow steps toward him. I looked to see what he was doing. Confused as to why he was packing his things in a suitcase, I stopped a few feet away from him. "Where are you going?"

"Home."

"Home?" My voice cracked as I asked this. What?

"Yes, home. As in Siberia."

"Why?"

He finally looked up, making eye contact for the first time. His eyes were glistening. He had been crying. I never thought I'd see him cry, but here he was. I couldn't tell if he was angry or grieving, though.

"Viktoria's a Strigoi."

Well, that—Wait. What?

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys! Sorry for taking forever to update. I've had a busy year. My first semester of college was dreadful, but I'm already off to a better start in my second semester. I'm majoring in English now. (:

I have a bit of extra time to write this semester, too, so I will be updating regularly again.  
Anyway, one more chapter of RHI. And then it's the sequel. I'm kind of sad about it. But anyway, tell me what you thought? Thanks, loves! (:


	27. Chapter 25

Viktoria Belikova was a Strigoi. _A Strigoi_.

"How long will you be in Siberia?" I asked slowly. It wasn't an entirely selfish question, but what was I going to do? He was my mentor and my lover. I needed him too many ways to count.

"At least a couple weeks," he replied. Even in his situation he was able to focus on folding and packing clothes neatly.

That was far too long for my liking, so I said the one thing I knew would change everything for us: "I'm going with you."

He stopped folding a shirt and then forcefully packed it in his suitcase. "No. You're not going."

"Yes, I am!"

"No, you're not."

I hated when he got like this. He was far less attractive when he was angry. I knew better than to continue fighting, but I had to stand up for myself. "I want to go. I want to _help._ I _know_ you, Dimitri. You're going home, sure, but I also know you'll go looking for her." I sighed. "You may be one of the best guardians, but you said even the best can be taken down. I want to make sure nothing happens to you, and a phone call every now and then just wouldn't do." I stepped around the foot of the bed and approached him. I took his hands in my own and looked up at his tear-stained face. "We'll do this. Together."

It's like our roles had done a complete one-eighty in the last day. I've had to console him more than he's had to console me. I had to distract him, cheer him up a little.

"Roza, I love you." The corner of his mouth twitched, but he never fully smiled. The effort was much appreciated, though. "I don't want your education to suffer any more than it already has."

"Already a step ahead of you, comrade." At his raised eyebrow, I grinned. "Since you're my mentor and the only one who can teach me discipline, according to everyone else, it would be logical for me to have some field training. Legitimate field training." He opened his mouth to speak but closed it quickly. He didn't see a flaw in my idea, I think. I grinned even more. "Good idea, huh?"

"Alberta would see right through it, but if I tutor you as well…"

"But—"

"Rose."

"Fine," I harrumphed.

I successfully distracted Dimitri from his sulking and would be getting more free time with him. Granted, I wanted this to happen for different reasons, but it would test our relationship. I couldn't turn that down.

But that was only the beginning.

We had a hell of a lot to do before we could leave. Pack, get Kirova's approval, tell my mother… Damn. That was one thing I was _not _looking forward to. And it had to be done soon. Before Dimitri and I left for Siberia.

After getting the okay from Doctor O, I started making my way to guest housing.

I knew Dimitri wanted us to do this together, but I also wanted Dimitri alive after my mother found out. I wouldn't get what I wanted if he was with me when I told her, and something told me I may have needed him alive to be in a relationship.

Far too soon for my liking I was standing outside my mother's room. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I was sweating bullets, and I felt like I could pass out at any moment.

The door swung open to reveal my petite mother. "Rosemarie?"

She looked different, I realized. I took in her appearance. Her short hair was loosely curled. She had a subtle amount of makeup on. She was wearing a black sweater and dark jeans.

"Where are you going?" I blurted.

"I—What are you doing here?" she stammered.

I frowned. "I have something I'd like to talk to you about."

"You're not pregnant are you?" she hissed as she grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the room.

"What?" I was scandalized. "No! Nothing of the sort."

She let out a breath of relief. "Good. What do you want to talk about then?"

I sighed and turned away from her, temporarily avoiding eye contact with her. Spotting her bed, I realized this could be a moment when my knees would shake, so I sat down at the foot of the bed. I folded my hands in my lap and looked up at her. "Have you ever been in love?"

Her eyebrows furrowed; she was unsure of where this conversation was going. "Possibly. With your father."

I ignored her last statement, resentment boiling in my veins. "How did you feel when you were around him? Or when he talked to you?"

"Weightless," she answered quickly. "And I felt like I was worth something. It is—was a feeling like no other." She knelt down in front of me, looking like a mother more than ever. "Rose, who is he?"

"Who's who?" I asked, playing dumb.

"The guy you're so infatuated with."

I deeply exhaled, ignoring that my stomach felt like it was twisted into a knot. "Please promise me you won't be angry." At another furrow of her eyebrows, I elaborated, "He and I wouldn't be a widely accepted couple."

"Rose," she sighed. I could tell that she was doing her best to stay composed. "I won't be angry. Who is he?"

"Dimitri," I mumbled and quickly shut my eyes.

"Guardian Belikov?" she asked. The soft tone of her voice soothed me a little, so I opened my eyes. "So the rumors…?"

"Depending on which ones are true and false." I felt a tear escape. "We tried to fight it, Mom. We really did."

"I understand, Rose. It's okay." She grabbed both of my hands. "I would only be upset if he forced himself on you."

I couldn't hold back my laughter. "He'd never. Trust me."

"So why didn't he come with you to tell me?"

"Oh…" I pursed my lips. "He doesn't know I came here to tell you. He wanted to do it together, but I wanted to make sure you wouldn't rip his head off when you found out."

She sighed. "Rose, don't hide anything like this from me again."

Despite the fear of possible rejection, I threw my arms around my mother, hugging her tight. I sensed her hesitation, but I forgave her once she returned the hug. For the first time in my life, I was bonding with my mother. We weren't fighting. There was no tension. I was happy.

"You're going with him to Siberia," she assumed.

I let go and looked at her. "How did you know?"

"I may not be around much, but I know you, Rosemarie." She cupped my face, brushing away the trails of tears away. She smiled and rocked back onto the heels of her feet. "You'll be studying and training, won't you?"

"Unfortunately," I mumbled.

Her face fell back into that stoic mask of hers. "You need to keep up if you go. I doubt you'd want to be in school an extra year." Dammit. Why does everyone have to have a voice of reason?

"I really don't," I sighed.

"Have you told the princess?"

"Y—" _Shit_. "No, I haven't."

"Why?" The disappointment in her voice was clear as day. "She'd want to know."

"I know she would. I just…don't know how she'd take it."

She opened her mouth to speak, but the door opened. We both looked up to see a tan Moroi standing in the doorway. He was dressed in a suit, wore a vibrant scarf, wore several rings, and one gold small hoop earring. Who the hell was this guy?

"Janine," mob man said in a thick accent of…I don't know what. "Our meeting with the headmistress is in ten minutes."

Her eyes flickered over to the bedside alarm clock. "So it is."

"What meeting?" I asked. I then turned to this mystery guy. "And who the hell are you?"

"Rose!"

The man simply laughed, though. "It's all right, Janine." He smiled at me, shamelessly exposing his fangs. "So you're Rosemarie? I've heard a lot about you."

"You didn't answer my question," I scoffed.

"My apologies." Still smiling, he stretched out his heavily ringed hand. "Ibrahim Mazur."

I briefly shook his hand. "Now why are you meeting with Kirova?"

"_Headmistress_ Kirova," my mother corrected. "Guardian Belikov requested that we go as well to meet with her."

"Why doe he," I began as I jabbed my thumb in the mob man's direction, "have to go?"

"That's irrelevant right now." She glanced in his direction before looking back at me. "Right now we, meaning all three of us, need to go to the headmistress's office. I assume this is Guardian Belikov's request for you to join him in his trip to Siberia."

That would make sense. I sighed. "Fine, let's go. But I want to know why _he _has to be there, too."

"…I'd like for Novice Hathaway to accompany me to Siberia. Her training and studying will still occur regularly, so she won't fall behind again."

I sat in one of the two chairs (mob man in the other), staring across the desk at Alberta, not Kirova, as Dimitri formally requested my company. I was incredibly confused. Maybe I was only imagining Alberta in Kirova's place because I needed to sleep.

"Guardian Belikov," Alberta began, "how long do you expect to be gone?"

"At least two weeks."

She glanced between Dimitri and me. I could see the humor growing in her eyes. Dammit. "Will this be strictly professional?"

"Mostly," Dimitri stammered. "We'll be staying with my family, so a couple days will be more casual."

"Guardian Hathaway, what do you think?"

"I've already discussed it with Rosemarie. She can go as long as Guardian Belikov trains and tutors her," my mother replied.

With that, I saw Dimitri crouch beside me. "I thought we were going to talk to her later."

I shrugged. "Well, you need to be alive so that we can actually go to Siberia. She wouldn't be so accepting if we had sprung it on her at the meeting."

"What else did you tell her?"

"About us."

He pursed his lips and glanced in my mother's direction. "And?"

"You're alive, aren't you?"

A guardian with immense self-control, my ass. He smiled widely, making him the happiest he's been in the last few days, save for just before the raid. "She approves," he breathed. I nodded in reply, his smile contagious. He looked back in my mother's direction and spoke up. "Thank you."

She didn't audibly reply, but I guess she nodded or something because Dimitri stood back up to face Alberta, the humor in her eyes even greater now. She looked directly at the mob man to my left. "Mister Mazur, how do you feel about Rose going to Siberia?"

"Why the hell does _his_ opinion matter?" I asked before he could answer. "Why is he here?"

"Rosemarie," my mother said sternly. "Calm down."

"No," I stated, standing up now. "Tell me why I should care what he has to say. I don't know him."

"Roza," Dimitri said quietly, his fingers gently cuffing my wrist closest to him.

I tried. Honestly. I just couldn't.

"Rose, he's your father!" my mother snapped. Her temper got the best of her. I hoped no one was expecting me to be cheerful.

I felt Dimitri tighten his grip, warning me to remain calm. I wasn't sure how to react, though. Before me sat the man who impregnated my mother and not once was there for his child while she grew up. Before me sat the biggest—

"Before you jump to conclusions," my mother said quickly, "I'd like to tell you that it's not Ibrahim's fault he hasn't been around. It's mine. I told him to stay away." She sighed. "His line of work was not something I wanted you to be around when you were younger."

"Kiz, she's not lying. I was inclined to agree with your mother, too. My line of work isn't the best for children to be around." He smiled at me, a smile much like the one earlier. "That's not say I haven't helped out, though. How do you think you'll be funded while in Siberia?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but I had no retort. Damn him.

"Could we get back to the task at hand?" Alberta asked. We all turned to look at her. "Mister Mazur, what are your thoughts on these two—" she motioned between Dimitri and me "—going to Siberia?"

"I have no qualms regarding it. I believe this would be better for Rosemarie to participate in a legitimate field experience, given who her future charge is." His reply made me hate him a little less.

"Then it's settled. Be prepared to leave in an hour."

I should have just asked Dimitri to pack my things. When I stuffed something in my suitcase, he'd take it out and fold it.

"You'd make a great housewife," I muttered as I threw a sweater into the suitcase, which he picked up immediately and folded.

"You'd make a horrible one," he replied. "Folding allows space for more things."

"It also takes time, which we don't have."

He sighed as he folded the last article of clothing. "Don't remind me."

I looked up at his face. "You'll be fine. I'll be right there with you when you tell them."

"Thank you." He caressed my cheek.

I leaned into the palm of his hand. "Don't thank me."

On our way to the plane, Dimitri and I decided to hold hands. Rumors didn't matter. What everyone thought didn't matter. Whether someone saw us didn't matter. What mattered was that Dimitri knew I was there for him. He needed someone there when he told his family about his sister.

Just as we were about to reach the plane, there was a ringing in my head. I stopped walking right then. I felt Dimitri release my hand and heard him talk to me, but I didn't listen. I only picked up something about suitcases and felt mine taken from my grasp.

_How _did I forget to tell Lissa?

I turned around to see my best friend running toward us. Judging by the bond, she was none too pleased. In fact, she was furious. She stopped a few feet away from me.

"When were you planning on telling me?" she huffed. "When you came back in a couple weeks, hoping I wouldn't notice your absence?"

"No, L—"

"I'm your best friend! You're supposed to tell me everything!" She was crying now.

"I didn't think about it. So much—"

"_You're staying_," she said quietly.

I had the sudden urge to want to stay, but I quickly shook it off. That—that _bitch_. "You tried to compel me!" I sighed as I pulled off the _chotki _she gave me as a Christmas gift.

"What happened to you being my guardian?" She sobbed, shakily taking the bracelet from me.

"I'm not your guardian." _Yet_.

She looked scandalized. "You love him more than me."

"L—" Too late. She stormed off, leaving me there alone. I glanced between her and the plane where Dimitri was. I deeply exhaled and started walking in the direction of the plane.

_Rumor has it that maybe Rose Hathaway did love Dimitri Belikov more than Vasilisa Dragomir._

* * *

**A/N: **The end. For now. I apologize for it being short, but there's only so much that can go into this chapter. I'll be working on the sequel, Comatose, soon. So be on the lookout for it!


	28. Sequel

**Final RHI Author's Note:**

Thanks to all of you for putting up with the insane infrequency of this work. I was shocked to receive any positivity on the last two updates, honestly. Thank you so much for your kind words over the past couple years. This time I hope to not make you all wait so much for updates.

Alas, I present to you Comatose, the sequel to Rumor Has It:

/s/7811644/1/


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